


Tears On The Veil

by TangentDreams2



Category: Sonic the Hedgehog - All Media Types
Genre: Adopted Sibling Relationship, F/M, Family, Family Issues, Family Secrets, Non-Graphic Violence, Suicidal Thoughts
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-03
Updated: 2021-02-04
Packaged: 2021-03-06 02:46:52
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 14
Words: 150,623
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25686016
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TangentDreams2/pseuds/TangentDreams2
Summary: "I want you to tell me that I'm wrong. That this is not right. Because it isn't, is it? I'm not supposed to be-- I'm not supposed to love you. Not when you're my... Brother."
Relationships: Amy Rose/Sonic the Hedgehog
Comments: 10
Kudos: 42





	1. Four Under Three

**Author's Note:**

> Jules: 30
> 
> Aleena: 30
> 
> Triplets (Sonic, Manic, Sonia): 2 (30 months)
> 
> Amy: 1 (15 months)

Chapter One: Four under Three

With nightfall, came tranquility. The graceful presence of solitude and the wondrous lack of motion. Soothing navy painting the sky and gently inducing the most active of children into a serene slumber.

The night had become her favourite time. For it lifted the weight of motherly duties just enough to breathe. For even just a moment, she could revert back to an individual with her own needs and requirements.

Taking solace in the plush armchair, Aleena sighed, drowsy with fatigue, and yet contently so. Another day had passed, and her children rested happily, knowing they were protected, warm, and loved.

Because that was what truly mattered. She could be a walking corpse, just barely functioning from lack of sleep. But as long as her children were happy and cared for, she was happy.

It was an exceptionally, one of a kind type of fulfillment. She wasn't afraid to admit her little darlings were also her stress inducers. From the sleepless nights, to the continuous, rotational crying, and endless amounts of mess her spawn served her on a daily basis in the two years they had existed, she often found herself contemplating running away from it all. Even jokingly (and depending on how her kids were behaving; premeditated) searched for train tickets on the internet in moment of desperation for liberty.

And then she'd see them smiling. Perhaps they'd learnt something new, or even turned to her when they had hurt themselves and sought a comforting hug.

The little moments made it all worthwhile.

Even still, the life of a mother was not a task to be taken lightly. With little breaks from child rearing and household maintenance, running on minimal sleep and lukewarm coffees, it was brutal.

Add the fact that there were three toddlers and only her as the primary carer most of the time; she was exhausted.

As much as she wanted, most definitely needed help, they simply couldn't afford it. Before the triplets, Aleena and her husband, Jules had a very good, stable income; with him being a soldier, and she, a senior nurse. Their joint income was enough to buy a modern, three bedroom, suburban, picturesque detached home, just outside of Central City. Accompanied with a garage, a long drive way and spacious garden for their children to run around in.

And there had been a sizeable amount possible to raise a child, so they got pregnant.

Only to discover the one child they were expecting, came with two other siblings. The cozy car became a family carrier, one set of baby furnishings became a set of three, and the nappies... seventy five thousand disposed of within the first year.

Child care for one was just manageable. Throw in three children and they were looking at a rival to their mortgage. So after maternity leave, Aleena never went back to work. She became a stay-at-home mother while her husband was the breadwinner.

Of course she loved to have the privilege to watch her babies grow up at first hand, but she was lonely. With her husband away, her regular talks usually consisted of baby talk, with the occasional new words thrown in. She did have mum friends. Only, they all had one child. To meet with them, she would be met with dolled up beauties, patronising her as a 'saint' for managing three kids under the age of three.

And the questions... If she had to hear 'oh goodness, were they, you know, natural?', one more time, she was going to scream the miracles of her and her husband's fertility over the mountain tops.

Having no one to vent to and having people sing praise for doing exactly what they were doing, with two extra, was an isolating experience. On occasion, her husband's brother, Charles, would visit, but she was certain an hour with the trio would require therapy afterwards.

Ah yes, her babies were more than a handful. With her first born, Sonic, being the leader of the pack. He was just like his father; in both appearance, and personality. Born leaders, extremely empathetic for his age, and adventurous. He could also be mischievous, known for being a little daredevil and giving Aleena acute heart attacks.

There was something peculiar about that boy. Ever since he had learnt to crawl, he had been abnormally fast. Advanced in his motor skills, the boy could run as fast as a 40mph moving car. His pediatrician speculated it was an extremely rare form of ADHD, Jules on the other hand believed Sonic was simply gifted. Another soldier in the making.

The second born, Manic, opposed his birth name. The laid back child, adept in cognitive developments. He was believed to be a late bloomer in personality, or merely overshadowed by his siblings. Either way, Aleena had strong hopes for the boy. With his mind, he could go far.

That left Sonia as the last born. Pretty and prim, an emerging diva. She was often seen bumping heads with her eldest brother on what to play. While she, most of the time, went along with whatever adventure Sonic had thought of, she did like to try and boss both her brother's around.

She too was peculiar. From what Aleena had seen, her daughter had the ability to lift and destroy the heaviest of objects. The mother discovered this when the boy's had gotten stuck beneath their bookshelf when attempting to climb the tall storage unit. As Aleena rushed into the room, she witnessed Sonia effortlessly lift the bookcase off of her brother's, even bend down and ask if they were okay.

The speedster, the potential genius, and the powerhouse.

There was never a dull moment in the house.

Her moment of rest had come to an end as she forced herself off the armchair. There was still so much to do before she could go to bed. There was a mountain of washing up to get through, then she had to clean the booster seats at the dinner table, tidy up any stray toys lying around, and mop the trek marks off of the floors in the kitchen, living room and hall way. If she was quick, there was a chance she could squeeze in a shower before bed and get a few hours of sleep before the toddlers decided that 5:00am was the perfect time for playtime.

Picking up a half empty sippy cup off the floor, the purple hedgehog headed towards the kitchen to get to work.

A harsh knock at the door immediately stopped her in her tracks. She stiffened, terrified. It was far too late to be expecting company, and judging by the force of the visitor's knocking, they did not come across as friendly.

Cautiously, she walked towards the door, leaving the hallway light at a dim setting. The knocking persisted, getting progressively louder and more profound. The forcible knocking made her wary of her sleeping children. She didnt want to risk putting them in danger, neither did she wish for them to wake up. Just what sane person would knock so ferociously at night?

The visitor pressed themselves against the front door, revealing a disproportionate body in the narrow, double glazed lite door. A well-built stature of a man. Fur the colour of royal blue and attired in what seemed to be a green neckerchief with green and black gloves to match his boots.

"Aleena!" He called out, persisting in his vigorous knocking.

It was Jules. Suspiciously back from deployment days too soon, at an equally questionable time of night. His way of knocking, more frantic than usual, was thought provoking.

Reassured of whom was knocking, the purple hedgehog rushed to the door and hastily unlocked it. She swung the door open to see her husband shivering in the bitter winter night. Nestled in his arms was a small gathering beneath his camouflaged military jacket.

"What on Mobius are you doing here?!" Aleena shrieked, keeping her voice to a minimum to prevent waking the sleeping children.

"I've missed you too, honey..." Her husband responded sarcastically. His humour lasting only a second. "Quick, I need to get her warm again."

Confused, Aleena stepped out of the way and allowed her husband to march passed her and into the living room. The sounds of him rushing through the house concerned her. Just what had he brought back home?

She closed the door and walked back into the living room to see her husband covering the bundle he had carried in with their children's freshly cleaned blankets. He discarded of the blood smeared clothing and then sat beside the little pile of blankets, soothingly rubbing the small lump beneath it all.

"Jules..." Aleena beckoned her husband for an explanation. "What is that?"

The man peered the blanket back ever so slightly to reveal a baby. A pink hedgehog it seemed. No older than one.

She gasped. Her head swirling with thoughts. Heart searing in pain at the possibility of her husband's betrayal. That she had been slaving away, raising his children, while he was away from his family, making more offspring. But he wouldn't actually-? He wouldn't possibly do that?

Leaning over, she examined the baby. Quills shaped similar to her eldest son, though more sleek and ever so slightly drooping downwards. She had bangs situated above her forehead, rather unkempt due to previous circumstances, resembled the hairstyle of their daughter.

In fact, she was only a few shades lighter than their daughter.

Her eyes scanned her husband, searching for similarities between him and the child. His quills were an array of different lengths. The two lower quills the longest, curling round to his tail, the middle spines somewhat shorter, spiking outwards, and the last quill, short and spiked up top. His wild array of spines could be a possible genetic factor, but not necessarily. His tanned skin was far from her complexion; the child was pale. Whether that was from being cold was another factor to consider. The last attribute was the eyes. Jules possessed sparkling gold eyes. An extraordinary colour he had genetically passed onto Manic. She was yet to tell if this child inherited them too.

"She's still a little cold, but she's warming up slowly." He muttered, still rubbing the baby's back.

His wife scoffed in a hushed tone. The audacity he had to bring in another child into their home with little to no explanation of her origins. Overwhelmed, she walked through the arch way separating the kitchen from the living room. Standing over to the sink, the mother inhaled deeply and gathered her thoughts.

Jules appeared behind her, responding to her quietened scoffing moments ago. "I know this is a little bit of a shock..."

"A little?" She repeated, looking over her shoulder quizzically at him. "You return home from supposed deployment with a baby and don't even think to consult me on arrival?"

The blue hedgehog raised an eyebrow, frowning at her doubt in him. "I _was_ on deployment. I literally just piloted back from Mercia." He informed her. He steadily made his way to his wife and gently coax her to look at him. "You don't think she's mine, do you?"

Aleena looked away, ashamed to think so low of her spouse.

He smiled warmly to her, bringing her to rest against his chest. "I'd never betray the perfect woman." He said, cradling the insecure woman. "She's an orphan. I... I found her after her father..." He abruptly stopped talking, the memory of the man dying in his arms scorching him.

"What happened out there, Jule?"

The soldier released his wife from his comforting embrace and walked away from her, towards the rustic dining table. He pulled out one of the white, upholstered dining chairs and slumped over the surface with his head in his hands.

"We couldn't save them, Alley." He told her dejectedly. "There's little survivors but... Mercia has fallen."

Grief-stricken by the news, Aleena beared a doleful look on her face. Overcome with pity for the Mercians and for her husband to witness the ordeal at first hand.

She walked over to the table and took a seat next to her husband, placing her delicate hand on his back. "You did all that you could." She said in a calming sombre.

The heart-rending screams of the terrified Mercians scampering for their lives replayed on a loop. A deafening ringing from the onset of landmines and heavy artillery falling into place on the mental soundtrack. Harrowing pleas of affrighted mothers stuck in the burning wreckages they once called home, holding out their wailing children in hopes they could live another day.

Their wailing. Their relentless, spine chilling, wailing.

Reliving the agonising sounds of war brought it all back to him. The putrid stench of sulphur compounds, blending into the smell of smoke and burning flesh stung his nostrils. He held back his wretching and regrettably swallowed it down, tasting the rancid copper flavourings in his mouth.

He didn't dare close his eyes for more than a blink. The indefinable scenes he had witnessed in Mercia had been beyond anything the militant man had experienced in his time of service. He had seen death, injustice, and the detrimental results of war.

But such sights would forever tarnish his memory. And the eery silence that came after the fallen men, women and children, would become the most disturbing piece of retention.

"Even with all our artillery, Robotnik's robots were impenetrable. Our tactic of defence quickly changed to evacuation. We searched the homes for survivors; but most had already been reduced to bricks and char." He clasped his hands on the table before him, desperately refraining from crying. He sniffled. "And then I got to that house-"

A faint whimpered squeezed through his tremulous lips. He bit his quivering lower lip, distracting himself by looking at his twiddling fingers. Feeling his wife gingerly rub his back, he found the strength to carry on.

"I... I heard a baby's cry from the house. The home was still intact, no visible signs of impairment, like broken windows or doors and stuff, you know? Guess it put me in a false sense of security."

The purple hedgehog encouraged him to continue with her sweet touch across his back.

He blinked rapidly, trying to comprehend what he had witnessed, while preventing the tears from flowing. "When I bashed down the door, I surveyed the home..." He sat back, unable to hide his emotions anymore. He looked to his wife, his body shaking as the last bit of repression was spent. "There was so much blood, Alley." He breathed out, choking on his sob. "One of Robotnik's robots came through back door and-I-I dont know if it was a malfunctioning robot, o-or it was created with such malice but-"

"Jule..." Aleena whispered softly, caressing his cheek lovingly. To see her husband so torn was a rare, distressing occasion. A 'macho-man', born and raised by an emotion stripping father. Abusive, hiding behind his idea of a militant parenting style. He had taught her husband how to hide his emotions behind a brave face. Any signs of emotion would result in violent, unorthodox punishments.

Only she had been the one to ever allow him to express himself. With that privilege, she understood how difficult it was to allow himself to show how he was feeling.

The tears rolled down his face, dropping onto his lap as he turned his body to his wife. "It... bludgeoned the mother... The room was just filled with her blood, dripping in every crevice. Pieces of her organs splattered across the bed and the floors... She was so mangled in the aftermath, I could barely identify her features."

He swallowed, the image of the woman's face singeing his mind. "You could just see her mouth stretched wide... Like she was screaming moments before the attack." Another whimper came from the solider, an ached grimace on his face as he shook his head in defiance to the images. "... She-" He sobbed. "She was protecting her child... A boy. Probably four, maybe five? Not even the child was safe from the attack... I think- I think their organs were intertwined."

"Oh my..." Aleena muttered in horror. She looked away for a brief period, adjusting to the shock of the horrific information.

"I followed the sounds of the baby's crying... A baby should never have to cry like that. So distressed and jittery. And after what she must have seen, I can only hope she will forget the trauma."

She dreaded to hear of the scene. But as her husband's confidant, she would share his affliction.

"I found the dad sat up against the wall, in the nursery. The robot, metres away, on the opposite side of the room. He must have fought to protect his daughter. The scattered and broken furniture indicated a struggle... It was a SwatBot. A mighty foe to take down, especially on his own. I reckon he must've used the taser I found on the ground to shorten the SwatBot's circuits."

"He didn't survive the assault, did he?" Aleena asked solemnly, her hand now grasping his.

Jules shook his head. "He had shallow breathing. Very heavy and slow. Blood dripping down his yellow-tinted skin from both his nose and soon, his mouth. I... I tried t-" He inhaled deeply. "I tried to lift him, I wanted to save him, but it seems I was only making it worse. He was too close to death. I can only assume he suffered severe internal bleeding from the attack... I must've gotten there too late."

His wife squeezed his hand tightly, soothingly brushing her thumb over his fingers. "You are not to blame for this. There was nothing you could do."

He appreciated the reassurance, but it didn't prevent him from blaming himself. "I held him in my arms as he died. The baby still wailing in the background. I couldn't possibly imagine how it must've felt, to have your daughter's terrified screams as your last memory..."

The couple sniffled and desperately gripped each other's hands for comfort.

"In his last words he told me the baby's name was Rose. To take her. I-I comforted him, reassured him that she would be safe and live on. That she'd grow up to be happy and prosperous. A-and... He smiled. Only for a moment before his organs began to- I cradled him, Alley. I didn't know what else to do." He sobbed.

Aleena pulled her husband into a hug. His head falling onto her chest as she ran her hands soothingly down his quills. She braved through the tsunami of tears cascading down her face and endeavoured to calm the distraught man down.

"Hey, hey." She whispered in a sweet tone. "You did amazing out there. You saw things no one should ever have to go through. With zeal, you sought to find survivors, and you did. She's right over there, fast asleep, all because of you. I'm proud of you, Julie."

His hold around her waist tightened as her words of admiration. Even after facing everything he had been through with a stone face, he believed the expedition had truly broken him, made him weak. For no matter what he had seen, a real man would've remained stolid.

With enough reassurance, he gave his wife a gracious smile and wiped away the remainder of tears off of his face. After composing himself, he continued on with his story. "I managed to gather a few things, you know, for sentimental reasons. A photo of the family, one of the small teddies, and a ring from the mother's jewelry box... Then I took her and left."

His presence begged the question of how he was able to head back home, shortly after experiencing the fall of Mercia. "Were you discharged?"

He nodded, not so enthusiastic about the ordeal. "Some of us received honourable discharge... Not that we've done anything honourable. Most of Eurish is likely to be taken over soon enough if we cannot counteract Robotnik's army."

The purple hedgehog looked back to the sleeping child on the sofa. If her husband brought her back with him, what were his intentions? "Jules... What are we gonna do with the child?"

He suddenly became motionless, blinking impassively. His eyes slowly drifted back to his wife, softening in an attempt to sweeten her. "I was thinking- don't get mad, heh..." He smiled sheepishly, bringing his wife's hand to his lips and placing a strong kiss upon it. He looked deep into her eyes, another method of persuasion."I thought, maybe... She could stay with us?"

As he anticipated, his wife glowered. "Jule-" She angrily protested at low volume.

He held up his hands in defence and grinned nervously. "Honey, baby, easy." He hushed her. "Just hear me out-"

Aleena stood up from her chair and paced around the kitchen. "Jules, do you have any idea how much work it is to raise three kids, single handedly, while maintaining a house?"

Her husband followed her onto his feet. "I couldn't even begin to assimilate what you go through day-to-day. You're an amazing mother, a wonderful wife. I'm lucky to have someone as selfless and exceptionally kind-hearted as you are."

Unconvinced by his sweet talk, his wife crossed her arms and frowned at him. "We can't afford another mouth to feed. We've sacrificed a lot to raise them all, and I just don't think there's enough for one more."

"We can make it work, Alley. I swear, we can pull through it." He said, passional in his words. "The general thinks I have potential as an officer. He's already running me through the process of being ranked to a 2nd lieutenant, rather than a sergeant. So I'll be getting a pay rise and extra benefits, then in about two years, I'll likely be promoted to lieutenant, and receive roughly 35,400R"

"Wait..." She raised an eyebrow at him. "You're earning about 33,000 rings annually right now. You'll only be getting an extra 2000 rings for taking on the responsibilities of a lieutenant?"

"Well when you put it like that, it sounds awful." He chuckled. "I mean, I passed the cadet officer rank." He grinned with little confidence in his persuasion.

She stared at him, a glare slowly taking over her features. "You're starting at the lower ranks again?" Her husband continued to grin back at her. "Jules! You've been a soldier for twelve years! You worked so hard to become a corporal. Can't they rank you onto a higher position? Like, I dunno, Captain, or something?"

"It's just the procedure, Aleena. I don't have much say in it. But, don't worry. As I've served a few years already, I'll likely advance a lot quicker than someone with little experience. In four or five years, I could be promoted to captain. In six, a major, then a lieutenant colonel."

"You really don't get paid enough for what you do." She sighed hopelessly, placing her hands against his chest and resting her head against his shoulder.

"I could say the same to you; both as a nurse **and** a mother." He faintly chuckled, wrapping his arms around his wife and running his hands down her long, two-toned purple quills. "With the extra income I'll get as a 2nd lieutenant, we can get a childminder for the kids."

"... Then I could get back into work, can't I?" She said hopefully, a smile forming on her face.

"Of course, sweetness. If that's what you want?"

"It is! I mean, don't get me wrong, I absolutely love looking after the kids, but to have some individuality back will be amazing. That, and we'll have a many more opportunity with two incomes coming in."

"Precisely... So, does that mean we can... ?" He grinned widely down at his wife. Her emerald eyes stared back at him, an uncertain smile on her lips. "I know it's not gonna be easy, but I meant what I said to her father when I said she would live on to be happy. As a dad myself, I would do anything to ensure our children never suffer the way that little girl has." He swallowed back his emotions once more, preventing himself from becoming emotional again.

Peering over to the sleeping baby, Aleena pondered the future. She knew a lot more than her husband, how difficult it was to raise three under three. To raise four? She imagined it would be painstakingly laborious.

Although she needed to consider the childminder. With somebody else helping them care for a quartet of kids, maybe they could manage.

Barely. Just barely.

There was so much- Too much to consider with an adoption. Would she get along with the children, and vice versa? There wasn't going to be a transition for the kids to get used to a new arrival. Heck, there was hardly a transitional stage for she and Jules to process the change. The child was already here. Already an additional mouth to feed, already another little person to love.

It was a lot to take in for one night.

Though as her husband stared anxiously through his big smile, she knew in her heart that her beloved would do anything in his power to ensure all their lives would comfortably mould into one.

With a short sigh, Aleena compromised her confirmation. "She can stay, but before we can consider adopting her, we need to see how she is with us and the kids. We can't simply take her in without everyone being on board."

His eyes lit up in delight. Though it was conditional, it was still a temporary win. "Yes! You beauty! I'll do whatever it takes to make it work, I promise."

"I don't doubt that for a second." She smiled.

He placed a tender kiss on her lips, an expression of his gratitude and his love. The sweet sentiment was deeply in arrears after many months apart. With all the children still in dream, there was a chance for the couple to pay off some needed affection.

The sounds of faint stirrings came from the living room, a breathing denial of that chance.

Rising from beneath her covering, the baby sat up and gawped at her surroundings, not muttering a sound. She couldn't fathom the change in environment; different furnishings, different smell, different atmosphere.

She was in desperate need for her mother.

"Ma, ma, ma, ma." She babbled, holding out her hand as she looked around for security. No answer. Perhaps she hadn't heard. "Ma, ma."

Cautiously, the two adults approached the baby, being mindful to not startle her. Jules crept closer to her, offering his hand. "Hey there, Rose. Don't be afraid now. We're here to look after you." He said soothingly.

The baby looked at his hand, slowly moving her eyes upwards to see the stranger's bright smile.

She did not appreciate his presence. Whining warily, the baby's jade eyes glazed with forming tears, her cries were undoubtedly going to follow.

"Sssh... It's okay-"

The child wailed loudly, panicked by the unfamiliar presence.

"No, no, no. Hey, you're okay. We're not going to hurt you, little one." Jules tried to calm the baby down, but to no avail.

"Honey, I think she needs comfort." Aleena informed her spouse.

Jules nodded back at her. "Does somebody need a hug?" He gushed. "Come here, little Rosie." He said as he picked her up.

Her cries became louder and more unnerved.

"What am I doing wrong?! She's getting worse!" Jules turned to his wife in his turmoil.

"Calm down, Jules. You'll get her even more upset." She said.

A combined set of crying came from upstairs, an announcement that the toddlers were now awake. Rubbing her temples, Aleena sighed and went to check on them.

Jules panicked to see his wife leaving him alone with the crying baby. "Alley." He shrieked, looking hopelessly to his wife.

The purple hedgehog turned back to him. "It's not like you haven't done it before." She rolled her eyes at the man before leaving him with the baby.

"Yeah, she's right." He spoke to himself in hopes to boost his own confidence. He looked down at the screaming baby in his arms. "I've carried two little people in my arms before. Both crying and wailing up a storm. It's been awhile of course, but nothing I can't handle."

The persistence of the baby's cries were admirable. Even as her face became a darker shade to her pelt, she still never stopped crying.

"It's a lot to take in right now, Rose. You've certainly been through a lot for someone so young. You're safe with us now. We'll love you, protect you, and keep you happy. That's all your family would've wanted for you. To be happy."

He wasn't sure whether it was his talk about family or whether it was the tone of his voice. But hearing the little girls wails quieten to whimpers, he smiled contently.

"You're going to be just fine here, little petal." He whispered as he cradled the whimpering baby in his arms.

The blue hedgehog soon found himself persuasively talking into the early morning.

* * *

Incessant wailing came from the pink baby. No matter how often they took turns to comfort her, the child remained insecure and terrified of the adults and her surroundings.

They had provided her with a bottle of milk, bathed her, ventured to an open-all-hours store for the correct nappy size in order to change her, and clothed her in a pink and white striped sleep suit, one which Sonia had grown out of.

Yet the crying was on going. The couple were grateful their toddlers didn't wake up again, despite the noise.

The ongoing cries of the baby resulted in very little sleep from both the parents. They had chosen to take shifts; one to watch the baby, while the other slept. Both of them had managed to obtain three hours each before it was five in the morning.

And low and behold, the toddlers were up to play.

After forcing herself to get the kids bathed, she allowed them to run around in their nappies. The little energy she and her husband possessed begged for a simple day indoors.

Sonic had rushed down the stairs before his siblings could keep up. Running into the living room, he abruptly paused as he noticed his father's quills hanging over the back of the sofa.

"Daddy!" He cheered, gripping onto his dad's quills and proceeding to climb them.

"Yeow!" Jules yelped. He bent his arm backwards and grabbed the boy by his leg, pulling him off his quills and held the swinging boy in front of him. "Hey, mini me. My, haven't you grown?" He placed the boy in his lap and hugged him. "I've missed you, little man."

"Aw." Her son cooed, resting his head against his stomach.

Manic and Sonia soon came running into the room. "Daddy!" They cheered, jumping on the man before he could acknowledge their presence. Jules laughed fondly as his children smothered him.

"Hey guys. Looks like you're all here." He paid his second son some attention by ruffling his messy quills. "How's my little Manic doing?"

The boy smiled excitedly, giggling in his happiness.

"I'll take that as an A-OK." He smiled back at the boy before turning to his daughter. "And don't think I've forgotten my little princess." He said, nuzzling his nose against her cheek.

"Tickles." She giggled.

Holding the three toddlers in his arms, the man prepared them for the new addition to the family. "So, you guys. We have a special surprise for you al-"

"Look." Sonic said, point to the napping baby in a stroller. "Dolly."

Jules laughed in amusement. "She does look like a doll, doesn't she? But she's actually a baby."

"Dolly." Sonic insisted, continuing to point to the sleeping child.

"Aw, baby dolly." Sonia gushed, jumping off her father's lap and walking over to the baby.

Sonic copied his sister's actions, walking over to the pink hedgehog and leaning over her. He was sceptical of her, crouching and walking around her as his way of examining her.

Aleena leaned against the archway and looked at her curious children. Sonic supposedly running a safety check on his sibling's behalf, Sonia staring in awe, and Manic cautiously watching from his father's lap.

Her eldest son turned to her. In seconds, he dashed to her side and grabbed her hand. "C'mon. C'mon." He said as he pulled his mother into the living room. He stopped in front of the baby and looked back at his mum. "Look, dolly."

Aleena giggled, entertained by her son's innocence, and by his need to show her the new baby. "She's not quite a doll, sweetheart. She's a baby. Her name's..." She paused, not wanting to speak her name. A name carrying so many hurtful memories.

She looked to her husband, uncertain of his reaction to her proposal.

"What? What is it?" Jules asked. He scooped Manic into his arms and approached his wife. "Is everything okay?"

She looked down at the pink hedgehog before looking back at him. "If she's going to apart of this family, are we going to let her know about her own family at a certain age, or will we wait until she's an adult?"

Jules stared gormlessly for a moment. "... I hadn't thought of that." He chuckled softly. "I guess we wait until she's an adult. We don't want her feeling any different to the others."

"And, um... What about her name? I do like her name, it suits her well. But I just feel like she should be given a new name, to start afresh."

Her husband looked down at the baby, unconvinced. "I think her name's got sentimental value. Her parents gave her that name. I don't wanna take that away."

Following her husband's gaze, Aleena thought to herself. If she were to have a new name, it would need to have meaning, just like the old.

Or better yet, a sentimental new name to combine with the old.

"Amy." She said. "It means 'beloved'. Hyphenate it with Rose and you've got, Amy Rose. The beloved flower."

"Amy... Yeah, it suits her!" Jules enthused. "May take her some time to get used to the new name though."

"Babies are like sponges at that age. Always soaking up information." Aleena smiled down to the sleeping child.

The serenity of the moment had ended as the pink hedgehog slowly opened her eyes. Her eyes wondered around the room like they had before, this time, being met with more new faces. None of them matching the faces of her mother, father, or brother.

Her face began to scrunch up, her lip pouting in a quiver.

"Oh no. She c'ying." Sonia said, covering her mouth and looking to her parents. She rubbed the baby's head gently. "Aw, there, there."

"Uh, Sonia, Sonic. I think it's best to give her some space." Aleena recommended. She was about to grab the pair when Sonic dashed out of sight and reappeared with his sippy cup filled with milk. "Sonic-"

The boy shoved the sippy cup into her mouth and held it up for her to drink. To the parent's surprise, the baby contently drank from the sippy cup, her eyes watching the toddler feeding her.

"I think we found our baby sitter." Jules smirked. "Nice work, Sonic."

"Hung'y dolly." Sonic said, keeping his eye on the pink girl.

Jules laughed. "We could always call her, Dolly Rose? Or Amy Rose Doll?"

"Absolutely not." Aleena protested. "Her name will be Amy Rose."

"Amy dolly." Sonic said.

Looking smug at the purple hedgehog, Jules walked over to the trio of infants and placed Manic on the ground beside his sister. He crouched down before the baby and spoke gently to her. "Don't listen to that woman, Amy. By the order of the terrible triplets, you shall be known as Amy Rose, the dolly."

Rolling her eyes, Aleena smiled at her family, admiring the sweet moment before walking to the sideboard and pulling out the camera. She turned back to her family and snapped their picture.

"Welcome to the family, Amy." She muttered to herself, looking down at the picture she had taken of the wholesome scene. Placing the camera on the surface of the sideboard, the mother walked into the kitchen. "Who wants pancakes to celebrate the newest hedgehog to the family?"

"Me!" Sonia and Manic declared gleefully, running into the kitchen.

Jules watched as his children ran into the kitchen, smiling fondly to see the happiness his children expressed. He then turned to Sonic, examining his focus on the sippy cup in hand. "You wanna go and get some pancakes, Son?"

The toddler slowly looked up to his dad. "Dolly hung'y." He said firmly before focusing back on the bottle.

"She can have pancakes too, little man."

"Hung'y..." He trailed off, barely listening to his dad.

Shrugging hopelessly, Jules jumped up and walked towards the kitchen. Looking back at the pair, he decided to capture the moment and grabbed the camera. He snapped their picture and smiled at the scene of the two hedgehogs. A beautiful serenity that foretold of many more happy memories together, as a family.

"You'll definitely fit right in here, Amy."


	2. Make It Official

Chapter Two: Make It Official

Her cautions on adoption had not been inexact. There were plenty of things they hadn't considered before proceeding with the adoption process.

For instance, the paperwork. Various documents had to be filled and filed inorder for the child to remain as one of their own; Identification, financial summaries, proof of marriage, background checks, lifestyle checks, and reference from both their family members and their neighbours.

Then there was the observations and interviews within the home, to feel the natural dynamic of the family of six. This had been a rather tiresome policy to pass. With Jules back on deployment, having them all present had taken weeks to organise.

Not to mention how daunting it had been to have someone monitoring their every move or interaction.

Despite the taxing procedure, they had prevailed. They, as a family, were deemed stable enough to adopt.

And with their family being okay to adopt, they now had to see whether Amy was okay to be adopted.

Sat in the waiting room of the paediatric surgery, the parents, accompanied by Jules's brother, Chuck, patiently waited to be called by the paediatrician for Amy's health examination. They watched the children play together in the play area. All exuberant in their fun.

"Just look how well they play together." Aleena sighed contently.

"I know. Amy's really starting to adapt to her new life." Jules commented, looking to the waddling child. She was attempting to run after her siblings, but fell onto her hands on multiple attempts. "She's come a long way in just three months."

"She has. And the triplets have done well to include her in everything they do. It's like she's always been with them." Aleena smiled at the quartet.

In another attempt to catch up with her siblings, Amy fell onto her hands. She quickly pushed herself back onto her feet, staggering back slightly as she got used to running. Her eldest brother dashed to her side and took her hand, leading her to Manic and Sonia.

"Ho, ho. Sonic really loves to care for his siblings, doesn't he?" Chuck laughed, watching the blue hedgehog bossing his siblings around. "I take it he's taken the new responsibility quite well?"

The couple looked at one another and laughed in the memories of their eldest son's relationship with the youngest child. "Sonic thinks she's his doll." Jules said. "He's always insisting on taking over whenever we try to do anything for her. Feeding, changing, bathing, cuddles. They're rather inseparable most of the time."

"And it shows." Chuck said, seeing the siblings hug one another. "He's a wonderful big brother. Must've inherited that from me." Chuck sneered, peering over to his younger brother.

Jules frowned. "Pfft. Whatever you need to tell yourself, Chuck."

"Now, now, gentlemen." Aleena giggled. "As brothers, you have to set an example for the children."

"You don't need to worry about role models, Aleena." Chuck said before looking back to the children. "If anything, they're setting an example for us."

The adults studied the children playing with one another, smiling brightly at their harmony.

"Rose Hedgehog?" Called the paediatrician. She looked around the room for the parents of the child. Seeing Jules and Aleena stand up, she smiled and waited by the examination room.

Jules turned to his brother whilst his wife went to get Amy. "You gonna be okay with the kids?"

"Why else am I here?" He shrugged.

His younger brother ignored the comment. "The toddler bag is the green one. It's all labelled with their names if they need anything." He informed the uncle.

"Aleena told me all of this at the house. Go. The kids and I will be fine."

Nodding back at the pale blue hedgehog, Jules walked towards his wife. The woman picked up the pink child and placed her on her hip.

"Let's go and get you examined, Amy." Aleena said, kissing the side of her head before walking towards the paediatrician.

The little girl looked back at her siblings over her mother's shoulder, saddened to be leaving them. There was panic in her eyes, uncertainty of where she was being taken, frightened to be away from her siblings.

"Where you going?" Sonic asked his mother, his eyes looking back and forth between the woman and the infant.

Jules bent down to Sonic's level and smiled reassuringly. "Amy needs to be looked at by the nice doctor, remember? Don't worry, we won't be too long."

"Then I come?" He asked.

His dad looked to his wife, unsure of how to answer. "Uh, I don't know about that, Sonic."

"I'm sure it'll be fine." The doctor said, approaching the family. "If he could help keep his sibling calm through the examination, he's more than welcome to accompany her."

Given the okay by the paediatrician, Sonic took his dad's hand and lead him into the examination room. "C'mon, daddy. This way."

Looking back at his wife, Jules shared a humoured smile with her. The humourous moment was quickly taken over when they heard their other children protest.

"No fair! I wanna go!" Sonia cried, stomping her feet and crossing her arms.

"Why Sonic go?" Manic asked to nobody in particular, pointing to brother with a disapproving scowl on his face.

Their uncle knelt down beside them. "Why would you want to go in the _boring_ examination room with all these toys out here, eh?"

The children failed to acknowledge their uncle's question as they saw their elder brother turn back and stick his tongue out at them. Enraged, Sonia screamed, stomping her feet before dropping onto her bottom and crying. Manic stomped off into a corner and sat there, pouting.

"Good luck, bro." Jules grinned at his older brother just before closing the door.

Huffing, the man quickly scooped up his niece and walked over to his nephew in hopes to calm them down together.

In the examination room, the parents sat in front of the doctor's desk; Sonic sat on his dad's lap, and Amy sitting on Aleena. The paediatrician sat behind her computer, tapping away on her keyboard. She soon stopped and scanned her findings prior to addressing the family.

"So, my name is Doctor Delphine. Feel free to call me Delphine. And who do we have joining us today?" She first looked to older boy, hoping to make the patient more content with a happy brother beside her. "What is your name, dear?"

"My name's Sonic." Sonic said proudly.

"It's so kind of you to support your sister through this appointment, Sonic. You must really care for her, don't you?" She said sweetly.

The blue infant nodded. "Yes. My favourite."

"Sonic..." Jules reprimanded the boy. "We don't do favourites."

Delphine giggled. "Don't worry, we all have our favourites. Favourite ice cream flavour, favourite toys, it's just another thing that makes us unique." She soon turned her attention to the pink hedgehog, smiling brightly at her. "Lovely to meet you..." She quickly looked back through the medical notes, noting the new name for the child was still in the process of being changed. The doctor soon turned back to the pink hedgehog. "Amy. My, you have a beautiful name."

Amy looked away from the woman. Unfaltering, Delphine continued to try talking to the child, but made note of her avoidance. "We're going to go through a few activities today, Amy. With your brother here, I'm sure it'll be a lot more fun."

Sonic nodded to his little sister, providing her with enough assurance to bear a smile.

"Right." Delphine said as she got up from her seat. She placed clinical gloves over hands and turned to the parents. "If you could undress her on the examination table, that would be lovely." She said.

Taking the child to the table, Aleena undressed the infant to just her nappy. The doctor proceeded to examine the child's body for any physical scars or abnormalities.

"What you doing?" Sonic asked, becoming increasingly protective.

"I'm checking to make sure Amy's absolutely healthy. And..." She trailed off, briefly finishing the examination. "She is." She smiled at the blue child. Picking up a stethoscope, she warmed the apparatus in her hand. "May I continue the examination, Sonic?" She asked the young boy.

He found his sister looking to him for guidance. Her expression minimal, though still doubtful of the circumstances. He was put into a responsible position, to be the strong one to reassure his sibling.

From what he had seen, the doctor had been friendly and gentle. He had no reason to protest.

After much consideration, he nodded back at Delphine.

"Thank you. You're most kind."

Continuing through her observation, the doctor took notes as she progressed and eventually sat back at her desk to type up her findings while the couple dressed the patient. They shortly returned to their seat with the children in arms.

Smiling at the family, Delphine deemed it would be best to speak to the parents without the children present. "Thank you so much for helping me keep Amy calm through her examination, Sonic. Why don't you take your sister back to the play area to have some fun?"

Understanding Delphine's motives. The couple kissed the infants on the side of their heads and placed them on the floor. Jules stood up his seat and opened the door for the duo.

"Come, Amy." Sonic insisted, taking the pink hedgehog by her hand and leading her out of the room. Jules momentarily watched them walk over to their siblings, and then closed the door.

"Please be seated, Jules." Delphine instructed, gesturing to his seat.

The man did as he was told, taking his seat beside his wife and holding onto her hand. "You've found something, haven't you?" He asked solemnly. His wife squeezed his hand fearfully.

With an apologetic smile, the paediatrician nodded. "A few things, actually. But it's not something to take as personal responsibility. Many children I've had the pleasure of meeting and working with in the care system, or have previously had a difficult upbringing, tend to have certain concerns which are minor and almost always sort themselves out with extra care, or as they age."

"Then what's wrong with her?" Aleena asked firmly, not wanting to hear anything more than her daughter's health.

"Well, for the physical aspect, she's underweight for her age." She looked back at her screen to confirm her age. "At eighteen months, we expect baby's to be in the range around here..." She picked up a weight chart and placed her hand on the green area. "From weighing Amy, she appears to be in this area." She point to the ember section of the chart, edging onto red.

"Oh-" Aleena gasped woefully, covering her mouth to quieten the arising sobs. Jules wrapped his arm around her, bringing her to rest on his shoulder while holding her hand tightly.

"I understand this is difficult for you to hear..." Delphine empathised with the parents.

"We do offer her food multiple times throughout the day." Jules told the woman. "She just seems to reject it. We tried finger foods, purées, various textures, but she just turns to milk, or eats yogurt with her hands in the end."

Delphine nodded. "Her sleep patterns; how are they? Does she self sooth? Wake up often in the night?"

Aleena sniffled, wiping the tears from her eyes. "She, um- She does tend to wake up a few times in the night. At least three or four times. She doesn't seem to know how to self sooth. If she wakes up, she'll need to be rocked back to sleep."

Again, the doctor nodded. "And her behaviour. How does she respond to you two? The children? I couldn't help but notice she avoids eye contact. Is this a reoccurring thing or... ?"

The couple looked to each other, and then back to the pediatrician. "She's more interactive with the children than us, I'd say." Aleena said. "She has these... I dunno, like 'episodes', where she just blanks out. We'll try talking to her or interacting with her, but she just stares aimlessly at nothing."

"That does sound very distressing for you as parents. It's not an easy situation to deal with." She said sympathetically. "How many words does she now know? And how long has she been walking?"

Jules looked to his wife, knowing she'd know a lot more than him due to his deployment.

"She's only just started to walk." Aleena said. "I think she's said about ten words since she's been with us? Like 'ma-ma', 'da-da', 'Sam', are the main three."

Delphine nodded, emotionless in her face. "This may be an aberrant question but, do you know what happened to her birth family?"

"Yes..." Jules responded sorrowfully. "They were killed by Robotnik's robots, in the attack on Mercia. She witnessed her father's death."

"Thank you for sharing, Jules. From the information you've given me, I have no doubt that Amy's suffering from the emotional trauma of her family's demise."

"Trauma... ?" Jules breathed out in horror.

The doctor nodded. "Babies are not exempt from devastating events unfortunately. They're affected just as much, if not worse than adults. It can really slow down their development and affect their neuron patterns. From what you've mentioned about Amy's experience, the events have caused a some delay in her development and a loss of some motor and eating skills. These episodes of hyper-vigilance are also a symptom of emotional trauma." Empathy soon painted her features as she handed the devastated mother a tissue. "I'm truly sorry."

"How could we have not known that?" Aleena cried. "She's been through so much and she has no idea how to handle it." She sobbed and buried her face into the tissue.

"It not something to be aware of. As loving parents; you're never ready to hear, nor handle circumstances such as these." Delphine explained. "But there is help to be offered, should you want it."

"What kinda help?" The man asked.

Getting up from her desk, Delphine walked over to a display of leaflets and pulled out a few. She headed back to the couple and placed the leaflets on the surface. "Here are some leaflets about emotional trauma and stress management for infants aged from zero, to five. We also have parenting or family classes; a place to learn how to support the child and manage your own emotional responses. I picked up speech therapy and sensory playgroup too."

"Thank you, Delphine." Jules thanked the doctor.

"Do you have any other advice?" Aleena questioned, wanting to get as much information from the pediatrician as possible.

She nodded back at her. "I would highly recommend the sensory playgroup. You have the option to be with other parents and their children, or simply one on one. It's a dim lit room with various colours that help the child relax and be able to absorb more information. I would also recommend avoiding separation from primary carer and child for awhile. I'm sure you'd understand that any baby away from their family is highly distressing, we wouldn't want her to feel like that all over again."

Aleena looked to her husband, feeling selfishly heartbroken to hear her plans of returning to work would once again be put on hold. He returned an apologetic expression.

"I know this will be a difficult time for you all, but much like a storm, it shall pass." Delphine turned to her screen and looked at her calender. "I recommend we partake in quarterly scheduled appointments to ensure Amy is developing at a suitable pace. Don't worry if there are ups and downs however, not all children progress as fast as others." She stood up from her seat and clasped her hands together. "I shall see you both soon."

* * *

It was a gravelly grim journey back home. Jules, driving wretchedly silent, and his wife too emotionally spent to even force a smile on her face. Uncle Chuck made the effort to keep the children unaware of the gloomy atmosphere, but having heard of the news, he too was gripped with empathetic despondency.

They had rightly assumed there would be trials and tribulations with Amy, just like those that came with any child. But now knowing of the extent of the care she needed, it was a lot to process.

They were now handling a young boy with potentially severe ADHD, a young girl with questionable strength, and now another young girl with emotional trauma and developmental challenges.

All of which was mainly falling on Aleena's shoulder primarily, and her husband's in a financial aspect.

And the mother was doubtful. She had been struggling enough with the three, barely making it through with the four. She hadn't forgotten how thoughtful her children had been when it came to helping with the new addition, but to continue raising the four with all the appointments, classes and extra attention Amy required, she doubted her ability to go on with the adoption.

Pulling up onto the driveway, Jules and Aleena got the kids into the house and switched on a children's film to entertain them. With the children sat comfortably on the sofa, their uncle kept an eye on them whilst the couple talked about the events at the appointment and the unforeseeable future with Amy's recovery.

"What're you thinking, dearest?" Jules asked his wife, placing a cup of coffee in front of her and sitting next to her at the dining table.

Wrapping her hands around the cup, she didn't dare lift her heavy head to face him. "You wouldn't like what I have to say..." She mumbled, her voice hoarse from her excessive crying.

"The day I put that ring on your finger, I willingly accepted to take your burdens." He gently rested his hand on her forearm. "Come on, I'm all ears."

A sincere smile stretched her lips, it existence only lasting a short moment. "I'm..." She breathed out, looking down at her beverage's calm ripples with every slight tap she gave the cup. "I'm concerned about Amy's requirements..."

"It is a lot to take in. This whole situation has been a lot... But I'm so proud of you for powering through all on your own. You continue to prove everyday just you're the strongest member of the family, gluing all of us together." He said, leaning over to kiss her cheek.

"That's just it, Julie." She said shamefully. "I- I don't think I can do it." The tears reappeared in her eyes, falling from her tear ducts as she turned her head to her husband. She shook her head with remorse. "I was already struggling enough with three on my own. I was lonely, overwhelmed, fatigued. With an extra child, with all these challenges... It's just too much."

Her husband remained silent, his features lacking any expression. He looked away, contemplating.

"I know it's selfish of me. After everything she's been through, she deserves parents that will provide her with all the love and care she needs... I just feel like I can't do it when the other three to also care for... I'm sorry." She squealed on her apology, covering her face with her hands.

"Hey, hey, ssh..." Jules consoled his spouse, holding her tenderly. "You're not selfish at all. You just want what's best for her. We all do." He stroked her quills delicately. Turning his head to the children, his eyes fell on the youngest, seeing her sat in her eldest brother's arms while intensely staring at the screen. His heart stung at the possibility of her no longer being there. "We have to the right thing. If that means not going through the adoption, then so be it."

"I don't want to cause her anymore suffering." Aleena cried.

"I know, honey. We've just gotta do what is best for all of us."

"Is Amy sick?" Sonic asked.

Jules and Aleena turned to see the two year old standing beneath the archway. He stared at them, fiercely stern. Tiresome the young boy had become of the secrets kept by his parents. After witnessing his mother's tears, sensing the sorrowful atmosphere, and eavesdropping on the conversation with his siblings, he confronted his parents for the answers.

"Sonic, sweetie." Aleena said. Her words trailed into the air upon witnessing Sonia, Manic and Amy appearing behind the blue boy.

Jules got up from his seat and approached the worried children. He knelt down before them and smiled. "Amy's not sick, you guys. She's just needs a little more loving, that's all."

"We can give that." Manic stated, hugging the pink hedgehog from behind.

"Don't send her away." Sonia began to blubber and sniffle.

Looking back to his wife, the man was torn between choosing what would benefit his wife, compared to his children. On one hand, a happy mother meant a happy family. Without her happiness, the family would surely follow the depressive mindset. On the other hand, to give up on Amy would bring more trauma for the infant. It would also lead to the triplets resenting them for providing them with a sibling, only to take her away months later.

It portrayed a sad message. If they could abandon Amy, they could abandon anyone of them.

"We'll be good, mummy." Sonic told his mother. "Don't let Amy go."

The children's pleas filled her with dejection. To see such fear and sadness on their little faces, tearful doe eyes looking back at her, begging for reconsideration.

These feelings of sadness would remain if she were to send the pink hedgehog away.

"Alright, kids. That's enough." Jules told the triplets. "We need to do what's best for everybody."

"But-" Sonic objected.

"Don't question me, Sonic." His father scolded him.

"But I-"

"Sonic!"

"Amy's not going anywhere." Aleena said, raising from her chair and walking to the children. She lowered herself onto her knees and took the youngest child in her arms. Amy stared up at her, apathetic in her features from her lack of understanding to the situation. "We don't give up on eachother. No matter the sacrifice." She kissed Amy's head affectionately.

"Are you sure, Alley?" Jules asked, turning to his wife.

She nodded back at him, smiling genuinely through her tears. "The moment she entered through that door, she became one of us. We don't turn our back on family."

Wrapping his arm around her shoulders, Jules nuzzled his nose against her quills and smiled admirably. "Thank you, sweetness."

"So Amy's staying?" Sonia asked excitedly.

"Yes, dear. Amy's going to be staying with us forever." Aleena assured her daughter and her siblings.

Beaming with joy, the children bounced around merrily in front of their parents before jumping beside the pink hedgehog on their mother's lap and huddling together in a family hug. The parents gently squeezed the children, causing them to giggle and pretend to struggle in their grasp.

Releasing the kids from the group hug, Jules looked back to his wife, earnestly heartfelt. "You'll get all the help you'll need while I'm gone. We'll get a nanny, childminder, whatever is easier for you."

"We'll help too!" Sonia chimed in. "We can be nurses!"

"Don't forget about me." Chuck joined the family in the kitchen. "I can take the triplets off you and take them with me to work. How about that, kids? You wanna help your uncle fix cars?"

"Yeah!" The three cheered.

"Thank you, everyone." Aleena said gratefully. "With everyone doing their bit, I'm sure Amy will get all the love and support she needs."

"You know it, honey." Jules agreed, kissing Aleena's forehead. "Right, kids. As a celebratory treat, why don't we have ice cream-"

"Yay!" The trio cheered.

"After dinner." Their father finished.

"Aw..."

With the family fed and the children treated, Aleena and Jules washed up the dishes and watched the children wrestling their uncle to the ground, in the garden. They giggled amongst themselves at the humourous scene beyond the kitchen window.

Aleena's sight set upon the young pink hedgehog, seeing her watch her siblings tackle the man to the ground. The mother could see the stillness of her movements, the lack of blinking she performed. Any emotion had been stripped off her features after witnessing the rough play.

Sonic approached the young child, attempting to take her hand. The pink hedgehog rejected his touch, whining and stepping back from her brother, crossing her arms in defiance. She soon looked away, choosing to examine the nearby flower patch instead. Her brother followed her, crouching down to look at the flowers.

"Another episode." Aleena said in sorrow, her eyes still watching the youngest child.

Jules nodded, dour his mood had become. "It is early days. 'Sides, she did really well to distract herself with the flower beds." He looked over to his wife and saw the look of guilt on her face. "Alley..."

"Should I go get her? Maybe she needs comfort." The woman became neurotic, ripping off the sud covered gloves and rushing to the sliding doors.

"Alley, relax." Jules said, grabbing his wife's hand before she could open the door. "She's fine. You just saw her overcome it on her own."

"She's not supposed to overcome it on her own, she needs to be by my side at all times! You heard what Delphine said. We don't want her to feel neglected."

"She's enjoying herself with the kids, just look at her." He said, looking out through the glass doors.

Her eyes followed her husband's gaze. They were soothed by the heartfelt moment of witnessing their eldest son picking one of the flowers and placing it in the girl's quills. She smiled appreciatively before showing her new accessory to Manic and Sonia.

The mother sighed, alleviating the anxiety. "You're right. She's more than happy out there."

"Precisely. Sure she needs to have a loving mother and father, but she also needs the love from her brothers and sister. She'll never be alone in this house, Alley. There's enough hoglets to keep her smothered with adoration."

His wife smiled back at him, silently agreeing with him. The levitation of her lips was wary in strength, indicating her fatigue. The weight of the world instilled onto such petite shoulders were definitely taking a mental toll.

She needed to recharge.

Taking his wife by the hand, he lead her to the living room and gently guided her to sit down on the sofa. "Jules..." Aleena breathed out, faintly giggling in her confusion. "What're you doing?"

"I'm gonna run you the nicest, warmest, fruity smelling bath you've ever had. You can relax, unwind, even have a glass of wine. Your favourite kind..." He grinned at her, enticing her into the idea.

"That does sound very nice. But what about the kids?"

"I can watch them." He noticed his wife's eyebrow raising up in it's inquisition. "What? I can handle my own kids, y'know."

"All four of them? Alone?"

"Yeah." He scoffed. "I order up to thirty soldiers. What's four kids compared to that?"

Aleena pretended to ponder. "Four kids... Hmm, I'd say that's equivalent to eighty soldiers... first year cadets."

Jules gasped loudly, elaborating his exaggeration. "To take on such a fleet on a daily basis, you have earned the honourary title of Field Marshal. I shall see to it that your unwinding will bring you complete and utter ease." He saluted the woman and marched out of the living and towards the bathroom upstairs.

Laughing at her husband's antics, Aleena sighed once more and allowed herself to relax into the comforts of her plush furniture. Such a moment was a blessing, and with her husband's gift, she was to take full advantage of the rare opportunity to private indulgence.

For a moment, she would be an individual.

* * *

The extra care and affection given to the young girl progressively unlocked her potential. Gradually, she became confident in her walking, more agile when running, and her personality began to seep through the cracks of her trauma. She was a bubbly spirit, encased by the chains of her past. The chains wearing with every passing day to recovery.

They were still very much at the starting point of Amy's progression, but she had come a long way in the last three months.

Her milestones had brought ease to her mother. As Amy grew closer to her and her siblings, she became more settled into the night. Night terrors were decreasing, self soothing now an established ability. Sleep was becoming a familiar blessing to the purple hedgehog and she was a lot happier for it.

Her happiness extended to her husband, Chuck, and the children too. Their dedication to Amy's recovery had not gone unappreciated. With Sonic being particularly helpful helping his sister to walk, Sonia helping her with her speech, and Manic providing support for her reading and imaginative play, Amy's progress had likely developed faster than it would have singlehandedly.

And of course with Chuck being around more often to help out, and Jules being more diligent in his parental role when he was home, the family became an ideal stronghold; one built on love and unity.

They hoped their efforts to become the perfected family unit with endless support was more than enough to confirm the adoption.

They were going to find out.

Sat in the registration office, Aleena held the babbling toddler in her arms as the three adults spoke about the verdict of their application. The male wolf sat behind the desk clicked away on his mouse, scanning his screen at the information on Amy's case.

Clasping his hands together, the man held a solemn expression. "We do apologise for the delay in retrieving the official death certificates of the Dalton family. We now have three confirmed deaths; Rose's father, Tobias Dalton The Hedgehog, her mother, Celeste Dalton and her older brother, Samuel Dalton."

The couple took a moment of silence to mourn the loss of their daughter's birth family.

Looking back at the screen, the wolf momentarily squinted at his findings. "We have found one remaining family member to Rose. Her cousin, Robert O' The Hedgehog. An eighteen year old male and a current refugee in Mercia. As the only remaining biological member, we have informed him of Rose's potential adoption and requested his authorisation to permit this adoption to proceed."

Jules gripped his wife's hand anxiously. "And? What did he say?"

There was a brief silence. One that seemed an eternity to the desperate couple. The man eventually smiled. "As you can imagine, an eighteen year old with little to no resources is not likely willing to accept the responsibility of a child. He has forfeited his rights to fight for custody, allowing both of you to adopt little Rose."

The pronouncement to the end of their battle for adoption alleviated the smog covering the unknown. A harmonious, breathless sigh of relief, blending with the shrouding notion of incredulity. They made it. They had all made it.

Rose Dalton was now Amy Rose, The Hedgehog.

"Congratulations to the both of you. I have no doubt that you will be the best parents to this little one." The wolf commended the couple. "With your application being approved, there will be a new birth certificate for Rose. You have the option to keep her original birth certificate, or we can achieve it here for future reference."

"What do you think, Sweetness?" Jules asked the purple hedgehog.

Looking down at the now napping infant, she smiled down at the girl and ran her fingers down her quills. "I think we should keep it. We could get her a memory box and keep it in there until she's older. I just feel like it's kinder that way."

Jules nodded back at her. "Keep it sentimental."

"Exactly." Aleena agreed with her husband, sharing an adoring smile with him.

"Great. That just leaves the updated birth certificate to compose." The man said. He loaded the document onto the screen and proceeded to get the necessary information from the parents. "So, first and foremost, we'll start with the new name. You said her name was... ?"

"Amy. Amy Rose." Aleena said.

"And how would you like to spell that?"

"A-M-Y. R-O-S-E."

"Thank you." He responded, typing the name into the system. "I have your current occupations and address so I will document those. Do you wish to change her birthday for any alternative date?"

Puzzled, Jules frowned. "Is that a thing?"

"Yes." The man nodded. "Some parents choose to create a whole new beginning for the child; new name, new birthday, new place of birth. As you can imagine, some of these children have such a poor start to life, their new parents will often choose to erase their former life, to begin again."

"Ah, that makes sense. For Amy though, we want her to stay connected with her birth family as much as possible. We'll keep her birthday." He said, taking hold of Aleena's hand as an act of confirming their mutual agreement. Squeezing his hand, she assured him on the choice.

Nodding back at the father, the wolf typed up the information given to him prior to showing the couple all that was written on the screen. "If you could just confirm all that information is correct, I'll have it printed and filed with the previous certificate to take with you."

Aleena and Jules scanned through the information on the screen and gave their approval to the man. Shortly after the approval, the documents were printed, signed and filed into a folder before being given to the parents.

"The old birth certificate and the new will be found in this file. There will also be copies of the certificates here in the archives, ready for access from either of you, or Amy herself once she's an adult."

The documents now secured in Jules's grasp, the man stood up from the desk and shook the hands of both Jules and Aleena. "Again, congratulations on the adoption. I wish you all a lifetime of happiness."

With a determined smile, the blue hedgehog bowed his head to the wolf and wrapped his arm around his wife's shoulders as he walked with her and Amy out of the office.

They were on their first step in their aspiration; to have a happy, loving family. An idyllic unit, built on the qualities he had missed in his childhood.

His mission was to provide a forever home for the little girl and his triplets. Ambitious to succeed, he would create a family as differing from his childhood as possible.

* * *

Arriving back home, Aleena got to work on filling Amy's new memory box. The pink and white striped box was filled with the memories of her birth family, and the birth certificates. Beneath the sentimental treasures was a sheet of pink tissue paper to protect the items, covering the memories from first gaze.

Placing the box at the back of the wardrobe, on the top shelf, Aleena closed the doors on the memories. In time, they would provide the truth and comfort to her daughter.

"We're home!" Chuck's voice called out from the hallway.

Delighted to hear her children were now home, Aleena scooped Amy off of thr bed and made her way downstairs to greet the triplets, and their uncle.

Jules had beaten her to them. "Hey, you guys. I missed you. Did you have fun at the Funhouse?" He asked, referring to the soft play centre they had attended.

"Yeah!" The trio replied cheerfully.

"I'm glad you had a good time." He knelt down before the children and held out his arms. "How about a hug for your dad?"

Jumping into his arms, Manic and Sonia nuzzled their heads against their dad's cheeks, smiling brightly as they did so. Sonic's eyes had caught on his mother carrying Amy down the stairs. His face lit up at the sight of his youngest sister. "Amy!" He cheered, rushing to the infant.

Giggling at her Son's enthusiasm to greet his sister, Aleena gently placed Amy onto her feet. Her eldest boy wasted no time in hugging the girl.

"Missed you, Amy." Sonic said.

"Sonny!"

A series of coos came from the adults after witnessing the wholesome scene between the siblings. They held a bond too great to come between. A tie that the adults saw as the ideal relationship between brother and sister. Pure and sweet in it's innocence.

"Do I get a hug now?" Jules asked his eldest son, acting offended by his son's audacity to choose to hug Amy over him.

Looking back at his father, Sonic raced into his arms, nearly knocking the man off his feet from the impact. "Hey, buddy. You're getting pretty strong with all that running you're doing."

"I'm tough!" Sonic said, jumping back and standing proudly with his hands balled at his hips.

Sonia rolled her eyes at her brother. "You're not _that_ tough."

Glaring at his sister, the pair became locked onto each other, leering intensely. A declaration for a fight.

Sensing the hostility between the powerhouse rivals, Jules grabbed Sonic and lead everyone into the kitchen. "Now, you three. After such a great day out, how about we celebrate your birthdays with a birthday cake?"

"I'm not sharing with Sonia." Sonic pouted.

"Come on, Sonic. It's her birthday as much as it is yours." Jules told the young boy. "Be nice."

Seeing the chocolate cake on the table, the blue boy jumped out of his father's arms and onto his booster seat. His sister, Sonia flipped into the air and landed beside him. He glared back at her, determined to keep her away from the cake. She returned his gaze, standing up in her booster seat to tower over her brother.

"Goodness sake, you two. Can't you go a minute without winding each other up?" Aleena sighed.

"It's a sibling thing, Al. Jules and I were always getting on each other's nerves." Chuck said.

"Not much has changed." Jules taunted his older brother.

Chuck frowned and crossed his arms. "You mean _you_ haven't changed. You've been getting on my nerves since you were born."

"You've been getting on _my_ nerves since I first heard your annoying voice." Jules crossed his arms and faked a frown at his brother.

Their lips quaked from the growing snickers on their faces. It wasn't long before the duo broke out into hearty chuckling.

"I'm starting to see where Sonic and Sonia get it from now..." Aleena said, shaking her head at Jules and Charles.

"It's a sign that they love one another." Chuck commented, placing Manic beside his sister. "At least we don't have to worry about you killing your siblings, little Man."

"Not my Manic. He and Amy are the angels." Aleena said, planting a kiss on Manic's disheveled quills before sticking candles into the cake.

Pulling the cake away from the table, the mother lit the candles and gently placed the celebratory confection at a safe distance in front of the triplets.

"Happy birthday to you. Happy birthday to you. Happy birthday to Sonic, Manic, Sonia. Happy birthday to you." The adults sang. The merry chants were to follow, until they noticed Sonia's distraught face.

"Sonia, what's wrong?"Aleena asked.

"Why am I last?" The girl cried, whining with teary eyes.

Not anticipating the girl's distress, the adults blinked at her, half-witted. "Your brother's are older than you, sweetie. That's all." Aleena said.

"I wanna be old." Sonia cried, tipping her head back and wailing loudly.

Her uncle chuckled. "Believe me, princess. You really don't."

Not knowing how to calm his daughter down, Jules scratched the back of his head and smiled with little confidence. "You were only a few seconds behind Manic, honey. He's not that much older than you."

"Ha! You're too slow." Sonic smirked at his sister.

Angered by her brother's insensitivity, Sonia screamed at him, holding the scream until she was red in the face.

"Sonic, apologise to your sister and let's blow out the candles already, before nobody gets cake." Jules said adamantly.

With his cake on the line, Sonic issued his apology to his sister. "Sorry." He said begrudgingly.

"Thank you." Jules said. "Come on, kids. Blow out the candles."

"Wait!" Sonic said. "Amy..." He beckoned his sister over.

"Sonic, what are you doing?" His dad questioned the blue child.

"Amy blow out candles too."

The father humourously smiled, assuming his son misunderstood the concept of birthday cakes. "Amy's birthday isn't for another three months."

"She can share my birthday."

Warmed by Sonic's kindness to his sister, Jules shrugged at the situation. He grabbed the camera as he waited for his wife to include Amy into the candle ceremony. "Okay, blow them out!"

The quartet blew out the candles and clapped for one another, an unexpected, captured moment on the camera to be added to the family memories.

"Alright, smile for the camera." Jules said, wanting to take another picture of the happy children.

Wrapping his arms around Amy's stomach, Sonic rested his chin on her shoulder and smiled brightly along with the pink hedgehog and his siblings.

Another photograph captured the overall happiness of the children, and the undeniable bond between the four.

These bonds were still youthful in growth, impressionable to change. The possibility of change that could not be recognised as anything other than pure.

But the change was there. Ever so lightly present.


	3. Takes A Hero To Stop A Villain

Chapter Three: Takes A Hero To Stop A Villain

"Thank you so much for taking the kids for us. We really appreciate it." Aleena said to the couple.

Her appreciation could not be expressed into basic words of gratitude. For the early years with her children had been the most debilitating time for the mother. Strong personalities had grown to challenging levels, individual schedules became prominent with Amy's appointments and for Sonic's examinations.

And then came the examinations for Sonia and her unnatural strength. The doctors found the pair to be genetic marvels, resulting in various tests for the children.

Honestly, the only child who hadn't given her extra grief was Manic. Her angel child who did no wrong, said no wrong, gave her reassurance that maybe she was doing something right in parenting.

But unbeknownst to Aleena, perfection surrounded by overpowering personalities could lead to neglect. The forgotten child amongst the delinquent posse.

Though despite her faults, there was no doubt in her ability as a mother. Through her exhaustion, she prevailed. Appointments met, children cared for and smiling daily. Amy soon found herself and her personality shined radiantly throughout the home. No longer held back by her trauma, the pink hedgehog held as much charisma and nerve as her sister.

To conclude, she had done a remarkable job on raising four kids.

Of course it wasn't without help. As promised, the triplets were taken by their uncle three times a week. Jules took over whenever he was home, and a babysitter was in place for the occasional date night. The vital luxury to help the parents stay connected.

But Vanilla and Roger? They were her heavenly guardians, sent all the way from Northamer, to Eurish, to be her saving grace.

The old friends of both Aleena and Jules had moved into a four bedroom, detached house right around the corner from them. After rekindling their close friendship, it wasn't long before the couple had become family bonds. So much so, Vanilla became their full time childminder. Taking the four children, and allowing Aleena to get back into nursing.

Three years later, they had vigorously grown as a family. Two incomes provided more vacations and more opportunities. The independence the mother desperately craved brought even more joy to the purple hedgehog, thus making her children happier. And with Jules being promoted from Corporal, to 2nd Lieutenant, to Lieutenant, their years of financial struggle were long forgotten.

And it was all thanks to their friends.

"Oh, don't be silly, Alley. It's giving me all the knowledge I need for when we have our kids. Besides, your children are such a delight to care for. So well behaved." Vanilla said, stirring her cup of tea in hand.

"I have Jules to thank for that. He's the go-to guy when it comes to discipline." She looked to her husband beside her, smiling proudly at him. Her smile shortly faded as she noticed his brooding expression. The man was lost in his thoughts, deeply ruminating. "... Right, honey?" She endeavoured to bring him out of his head and back into the conversation.

Successful in her reeling, Jules slowly turned his head to his wife and blinked himself back into reality. "Wha- Oh." He gave himself a moment to recollect his thoughts. "Uh, yeah."

"Then we know who to turn to when we have our litter of kits." Roger chuckled lightly. He wrapped his arm around his wife's waist and kissed her cheek.

Aleena gave a reserved smile. The topic of her friends' fertility was an disheartening, yet awkward conversation to speak of. For years, they had desired their own children. Multiple in fact. But the fates had not been in their favour. Seven years of trying, seven years of longing.

She felt awful for them. Somewhat guilty in knowing how quick she and Jules had conceived their children. Practically two attempts; in the space of six months due to Jule's deployment. Miraculously, they ended up with triplets.

And fraudulently, as the triplets were six months, they had another baby girl.

Or so they told Vanilla and Roger.

"So, do you guys have any tips for baby making? Four children and so close in age, you two must know a thing or two about proliferation." Roger said casually, hardly noticing the couples' uneasiness.

The hedgehogs looked at one another, blushing profusely. "I dunno. It's always been about timing for us." Jules commented, shrugging candidly. "Even now, with deployment and the kids, we just find the time for each other."

His answer was standard textbook knowledge on fertility. Timing was key, something Vanilla and Roger knew too well. Despite their disappointment in the tip, they couple nodded back at the officer and smiled gratefully.

Sensing the change in atmosphere, Aleena added to her husband's suggestion in hopes of satisfying their friends' enquiry. "I would suggest not making conceiving a mission."

"Hmm?" Vanilla tilted her head slightly, intrigued by Aleena's recommendation.

"I understand that trying to conceive for such a long time can make the process seem like a chore, but I think it's important to keep it fun and exciting. You know, be spontaneous, adventurous and daring. The more relaxed you are, I'm sure it'll happen."

Looking to her husband, a small guilty smile appeared on Vanilla's lips. He copied her actions, resting his forehead against hers and chuckling breathlessly. "You may be onto something, Aleena." Roger said. "We've been so wrapped up in the desire for children, I guess we forgot to keep it fresh."

"Perhaps we do need to loosen up a bit?" Vanilla shrugged at Roger. She suddenly gasped excitedly. "We could go on a couple's getaway!"

"Now that sounds like a great idea." Roger agreed. His expression quickly changed from enthusiastic, to concerned. "But- That won't inconvenience you two, will it? With work and the kids and everything... ?"

Aleena giggled softly, waving her hand at the man opposite her. "Don't let us stop you from making your dreams come true. Enjoy yourselves."

"Thank you." Roger said, nuzzling his cheek against Vanilla's. "We intend to."

Running into the living room, the children stopped beside the sofa their parents were sat on and stood in a line. Their father raised an eyebrow at them, unimpressed to see them running inside the house. Acknowledging Jules's expression, the children bowed their heads to apologise.

"Kids. What do you say to aunt Vanilla and uncle Roger for looking after you?" Jules questioned them.

Turning to the rabbit couple, the children bowed their heads. "Thank you, aunt Vanilla, uncle Roger."

In awe by their manners, Roger and Vanilla smiled adoringly back at the kids. "You're welcome, little ones. You're always welcome here." Roger told the children. Vanilla nodded in agreement.

Standing up from her seat, Aleena thanked the couple once again for their care and hospitality. "Thank you for everything, you guys."

"Oh Alley. You don't need to thank us everytime you pick the kids up. Like Roger said, you're always welcome." Vanilla smiled merrily.

Smiling back at the rabbit, Aleena lead the children to the front door, along with her husband. "Have fun on your vacation!" She said, waving back to the couple standing at the door.

"We will!" Roger and Vanilla cheerfully responded to the woman. Wrapping their arms around one another's waists, the couple waved at the hedgehog family before closing the door behind them.

Walking down the pavement, Manic and Sonic walked in front of the pack, hand in hand. Their sisters following close behind. At the back, watching the children, were their parents.

Though Jules still appeared to be in another world, still deeply engulfed in his thoughts. His lack of involvement in the conversation with their friends was unlike him. The man would usually be bromancing with Roger while she and Vanilla talked amongst themselves.

To be introverted the way he was could only mean he was conflicted internally.

His wife could only assume it was to do with his latest mission in Spagonia. Another country to fall to Robotnik's army. Even though there was nothing Jules and the rest of the militia could do, she could see the guilt and strain he was carrying.

The war on Robotnik was afflicting her husband gravelly.

She intended to help him. "Hey, kids? How about we got to the playground?"

Hearing the word 'playground' forced the children to stop and turn back to their parents. "Yes! Playground!" They cheered, bouncing around in front of the adults.

Jules looked to his wife, confused by the abrupt change of plan. Nevertheless, he went along with his wife and permitted the activity. "Remember, stay where we can see you, and be nice."

"Yes, daddy." The quartet agreed.

"Good. Now let's go have some fun, shall we?" Jules smiled at the children. They nodded back at him. However, in their excitement, they ran along the pavement, in the direction of the nearby park. "Hey! What have we said about sticking together?!" The father called out to the kids, immediately getting them to stop and wait for him and Aleena.

"And V and Roger want a dozen of them..." Aleena joked.

"They'll learn of the struggle on their own, sweetness. It's our job to encourage them to be as burdened as we are." He teased.

Gently swatting her husband's chest for his joke, Aleena giggled and took his hand in her own and continued the walk to the park.

* * *

Taking a seat on a park bench, the parents watched the children play from afar. There was a moment of contented silence between the pair as they saw their kids run around carelessly, free of responsibilities, innocent to reality. It was a beautiful purity, a luxury one had previously been stripped of and the other gave up for the man she loved.

To reminisce of their innocence would bring more harm than good for the father, and sympathy from the mother.

But that was a past trauma he had put behind him. The violence was no longer a domestic kind. Now it was global. One that would continue if he and the military couldn't find an answer to their current faltering offence.

"You're amazing." Her sweet voice fluttered into his ears.

His eyes peered over to his wife. Her eyes never left the children, but her features displayed her admiration for him. "... I am?"

Aleena nodded back at him. "You sacrifice so much for everyone. Even those you don't even know. No matter how much you're eating away inside, you brave a face and keep moving forward. You're a hero, Julie."

Looking down, he took in her words. He couldn't believe them about himself, though he was grateful for his wife's kindness. "A hero would have stopped the villain. That's usually how they work, right?"

"I disagree." She told him, finally looking to the blue hedgehog. "There's more to being a hero than just winning the fight. Behind the title, you're no more than a person with their own problems, their own demons and burdens. Yet to push all those aside and take on the bigger threat for the sake of others. That's a hero."

Her husband looked back at her, still unconvinced.

"So you weren't successful in saving Spagonia, but you saved many lives there. That's better than losing all of them."

Slouching against the park bench, Jules sighed and wrapped an arm around Aleena's shoulders, pulling her towards him. "I know you mean well, Alley. But this is bigger than just saving a few lives. Robotnik's getting stronger, and we don't have the technology, or weaponry to take down his army. If we don't come up with a solution soon, Robotnik will take over all of Eurish, then the rest of the world." He sighed once more, more pent up than the previous breath. "At this point, we need a miracle."

Kissing her husband's cheek, Aleena rested her head against his shoulder and looked back at their playing children.

Hanging upside down from the top of the geodetical climbing dome, Sonic and Manic swayed back and forth, waiting rather impatiently for their sisters to climb up and meet them. "C'mon, you two. You're taking forever!" Sonic complained, grabbing the bar in front of him and rotating around it.

"We're practicing for our recital!" Sonia yelled back at her brother. "Isn't that right, Amy?"

"Can I climb after this?" The pink hedgehog asked her older sister. She held onto the bar and stood beside it, preparing herself for the routine.

Not impressed by her sister's lack of discipline, Sonia placed her hands on her hips and frowned at her. "Amy. You can't look like a star if you don't put the effort in. We need to be centre stage at the next performance."

"Sonia, hurry up!" Manic shouted at the fuchsia hedgehog.

"Don't rush me!" She screamed at Manic. She turned back to Amy and faked a smile. "Now, I'll be the teacher, and you'll be the student." She stood near to the pink hedgehog and instructed her on ballet poses. "First position!"

Obliging to her sister's demands, Amy moved her heels against each other.

"Good. Now, plié, and tendu."

Following her sister's guidance, Amy performed the dance moves for her teacher.

"Lovely. And relevé."

"I don't have my pointe shoes for this." Amy pointed out, looking down at her purple shoes.

"Nonsense! A _real_ ballerina could perform in any shoes!" Sonia said proudly.

Amy raised her eyebrow at the girl. "Miss Bellum told us never to stand on pointe without our shoes."

"Well, yeah. But she meant that for the beginners. We are stars! So come on, relevé." Still unconvinced, Amy briefly performed the ballet move before quickly falling back into first position."Amy!"

"I don't see you doing it!" Amy argued back.

" _I'm_ the teacher! You're supposed to listen to what I say, so don't talk back... Okay, now arabesque."

"I don't know how to do that. That's for the advanced class."

"They only know how to do it because they listened to their teacher. First, you need to do is to get into first position, plié, adjust your weight to your front leg and lift. Simple."

Doing as her sister instructed, the pink girl found her form to be off balance and graceless.

"No, no, no! That's all wrong!"

"Why don't you show her instead of badgering her?" Manic questioned from the top of the dome.

"Because she doesn't know how to do it." Sonic shouted loud enough for Sonia to hear.

Growling at her eldest brother, Sonia grabbed onto the bar in front of Amy and performed a demonstration. "You do it like this. First position, plié, weight adjustment, and lift." She performed a low arabesque.

"Ooooh." Amy said, realising what she had to do. "You mean this?" She enquired, performing the same technique in front of her sister and successfully completing an arabesque, over 90 degrees.

"Wow..." The boys gawped in awe.

Sonia stared at her sister in shock. "Uh... W-well thanks to _my_ skillful ways of teaching, you mastered the art of the arabesque."

"Nice moves, Pinkie. Learn that at your little ballet class?" An older jackal with grey and black fur appeared with a group of his friends. They stood behind the boy with their arms crossed, grinning maliciously at the girls.

Sonia ensured her sister was behind her as she protected her from the older kids. "What's it to you?"

"Can't a guy ask a simple question? We just wanted to know where she learnt her moves from." He shrugged nonchalantly. Peering behind the fuchsia hedgehog, the jackal leered at the young girl. "Dance for us, Pinkie." He commanded, bringing up his phone in front of the girls. "I'm sure you'll be the talk of the town. Or the laughing stock, whichever." He sneered.

"Back off." Sonia warned the boy, balling her fists at her sides.

Snickering, the grey furred boy held his phone up to Sonia's face. "Ha! Like a prissy princess can tell me what to do. What's the worse you can do anyway? Twirl towards me?"

**Whack!**

His phone was hurled out of his hand and was sent soaring through the air. It landed on the grass, outside the perimeter of the playground. Too far away to determine it's condition.

The group gawped at the distance the phone had travelled before turning back to Sonia and Amy. They beared their grinding teeth, brows in intimidating scowls. "You're gonna regret that, you little brat!" The boy growled. His fist swung for the hedgehog, but it never met it's target. He paused, confused, and attempted to punch the girl again, only to fail a second time.

"What the-" The jackal thought aloud, as he turned, he noticed the blue hedgehog hanging inside the climbing frame, gripping his wrist tightly.

"My turn." Sonic said sadistically. Performing a spin dash, he knocked the boy to the ground and jumped onto his back, pinning his arms back.

"Hey!" The boys in the group called out to the blue boy. As they ran towards him, he vanished, leaving them guessing his whereabouts.

Sonic dashed into the sandpit and span rapidly, creating a sandstorm around the playground. The harsh sands buffeted the group, forcing them to recoil and cover their eyes.

"Manic!" Sonic gave the signal.

Sneaking through the storm, Manic stealthily tied the laces of their shoes together, making them unable to escape. The green hedgehog grabbed his youngest sister and carried her away from the attack.

"Kids? Kids?!" Their mother could be heard. Her voice getting closer as much as it was angrier.

His ears twitched, the pit in his stomach becoming a prominent pain from his mother's angered hollering. If he was to teach these bullies a lesson, he and his siblings needed to be quick.

The sand gradually began to fade, enough to see their enemy. Witnessing the blue hedgehog standing in front of them, the boys charged for him in a tempered battle cry, only to fall onto their faces as they tripped on their laces.

"Wha- Get up, you guys!" The jackal yelled at his posse. "We can't lose to a bunch of five year olds!"

"Actually, we're six. Hope that makes you feel better." Manic snickered.

"You little-" Another swinging punch was attempted by the boy. Coming to her brother's aid, Amy performed a roundhouse kick, knocking the fist away from Manic. With the older male now defenceless, Manic swung his own fist and landed a mighty punch to his jaw. "Ugh!" He grunted, falling to the ground, a short distance from his group.

"Lock 'em up, sis." Sonic told Sonia.

Gripping onto the climbing frame, the girl ripped the metal apparatus from the ground and covered the boys with it, trapping them inside.

"Kids?! Stop this right now!" Aleena yelled at the kids. Failing to stop the children, she turned back to see her husband watching the scene in awe. "Jule, don't just stand there! Stop them!"

Too immersed into the battle, the blue hedgehog stood by and watched to see how this fight would play out.

Leaping through the one of the slots of the dome, Sonic spin dashed off of the bars, bouncing forcefully around the boys. Screaming fearfully, the group covered their heads, protecting themselves from the powerful hedgehog's attacks.

The power of his spin dashes created dents along the metal bars and cracks in the ground around them. With every pounding he gave to the ground, the vibrations shook the petrified children.

"Please! Please! We're sorry!" The jackal cried, not daring to lift his head in fear of getting hit. "We're sorry!"

Landing on his knees, Sonic stood up and crossed his arms, looking down at the cowering bullies.

"W-who are you?" The boy asked, shaking violently before the hedgehog.

"My name's Sonic. Sonic The Hedgehog. You see those kids over there?" He asked, pointing towards his siblings. The jackal nodded. "Those are my siblings. If you so much as look at them again, I'll be paying you and your friends a visit. You understand?"

"Y-yes! We won't mess with them again. Promise!"

"Good." Sonic smiled at his success and turned around. Just as he was about to leap out of the dome, he looked back over his shoulder. "Oh, and I'd be careful getting up. One mistake and you're break through the ground. Good luck!" He said right before leaving the bullies to their fate.

The blue boy stopped in front of his siblings and congratulated them on their earned justice. "Haha! We did it!"

"That was so epic!" Did you see the way you knocked that kid to the ground? 'My turn'. You sure showed him!" Sonia cheered.

"What about you and the heavy lifting?! That was cool!" Sonic praised his sister. He turned to Manic and Amy and expressed his admiration. "Nice punch, Man. You got him good."

"Couldn't have got him without Amy blocking his attack. That kick was immense!"

Amy blushed bashfully. "It wasn't that amazing. Not compared to you three anyway."

"Are you kidding? You were amazing out there, Ames. Looks like ballet's doing more than just making you look cute."

Taken back by Sonic's comment, the pink hedgehog giggled nervously. "Thank you."

"Don't mention it." He smiled back at her. "Now there's no need to worry about those guys, they won't be messin' with you again. Nobody messes with my sisters and gets away with it."

Jumping onto their eldest brother in giddy fashion, the girls hugged him tightly, dragging Manic into the group hug. Although, as their mother came storming over, the three slowly backed away from Sonic.

"What?" Sonic raised his eyebrow at his siblings. "What's wrong?"

He felt a firm hand grip onto his back quills, causing his to freeze. With a frightful shriek, the boy was lifted off the ground and held up by his furious mother.

"We're going home. Now!"

* * *

Sat on the steps of the stairs, the children remained shamefaced and aggrieved. After their behaviour at the playground, they were placed on timeout by their mother. Despite telling her about the bullies, Aleena kept a firm judgement and insisted the children paid for their actions. The triplets were in captivity for six minutes, while Amy was in penalty for four. The timing judged upon their age, rather than their crimes.

"Don't even **think** about moving from those steps or so help me, you'll all be going without dinner!" Aleena scolded the children, her voice was enough to intimidate them into submission.

Other than Sonic. "We were protecting Sonia and Amy!"

His mother didn't respond to him with words. Her eyes widened at the boy, a deadly gaze that reminded the boy of his place. Becoming silent, Sonic turned and faced ahead.

Leaving the kids on the stairs, Aleena walked into the kitchen and gave the same deadly gaze to her husband. Jules had been looking out the kitchen window when he heard his wife's slightly louder footing on the tiled floor. He jumped to see her directing her anger at him.

"Why are you giving me that look?" He asked, feeling slight unease from her lack of blinking.

"Because of what you did at the park..." She spoke beneath her breath. A good indication that she was about to explode.

Rather cautious on his wording, Jules hesitated in his response. "... I, uh, didn't do anything?"

"Exactly!" Aleena barked. "You just stood back and watched as our children fought those other kids!"

Letting out a short breath, Jules smiled enthusiastically at the purple hedgehog. "But Aleena, you saw them in action. They were amazing! Like the way Sonic created that huge sandstorm, Sonia effortlessly tearing the climbing dome from the ground. Their powers are beyond anything I've seen before!"

"Yes. Our children are rather talented... Does that mean we allow them to use their power against a bunch of kids? No, I don't think so." Aleena scowled at him, crossing her arms, dissatisfied by Jules's response.

"Alley, hear me out here." Her husband pleaded, holding her arms delicately. "What if-" He hesitated once more, apprehensive of her answer. Letting out a nerved breath, the man proposed his ludicrous opportunity. "What if their powers are the key to defeating Robotnik and his army?"

As he partially anticipated, his wife's eyes widened, her anger flaring. "What... ?"

"Think about it, Aleena. Maybe it takes more than the military to take on the mad doctor. Maybe it requires heroes."

Scoffing, Aleena ripped herself out of Jules's grasp. "You see our kids beat up a bunch of brats and suddenly, they're ready to take on robots and an evil mastermind?! Jules, you know more than anyone what war can do to someone. Why? Why on Mobius would you put your own babies through that?"

"Because what other choice do we have?! If we don't do something soon, Alley. All of Eurish will be under Robotnik's control. The same fate that was brought upon Mercia and Spagonia will be right at our doorstep. Our lives would be as good as ashes if Robotnik isn't stopped."

She knew he was right. How could he not be? Her husband was a first hand witness to the devastation the mad doctor was creating across the country. He was the one to see the desolation of the homes, of the lives. First Mercia, then Spagonia. How much longer until he took over Central City?

But no. Even if the world they knew would cease to be, their children would not be sacrificed. She refused to allow her children to suffer the same turmoil as their father.

"Then allow me to be an advocate to the destruction. Because if I have to choose between the world and my children, I'm sure as hell gonna pick my children." Aleena said adamantly.

Stunned by her stance, Jules glared at the woman. "Then you've sentenced them to death." He said resentfully.

"They'd be just as dead inside if I allow you to turn them into weapons." His wife spat back at him. Refusing to listen to anymore of his talk, Aleena walked towards the hallway to release her children from their punishment. She stopped momentarily and looked back at her husband. "I don't wanna hear about this again."

Piqued by Aleena's narrow mindedness, the father breathed out his frustration through his clenched teeth and leaned over the kitchen counter. The children were just as much his as they were hers. As their father, he had every right to do what was best for them.

* * *

Another day over, the children slept soundly in their room. The mood of their parents' disagreement now leaving their minds and were replaced with sweet dreams.

Although, beyond their dreams, the tension was still thick between the parents. Both stubborn and adamant to apologise and let their opinions go. They were guilty of not concealing their annoyance at the dinner table. Bitter faces, occasionally leering stares, and passive aggressive, one or two worded responses to one another.

They should've known better. They should've kept their emotions away, out of sight from the children. But their conflicting decisions on parenting were too parallel to compromise.

And so they left it to fester. Allowed the resentment to grow.

Having cleaned and tidied up around the house, Aleena went to check on her children one more time before she was to get ready for bed. She slowly turned the doorknob and stepped into the children's room.

Her eyes first set their sights on Manic. The sweet boy could be identified by his wild quills appearing over his blanket that had found its way over his face. Tutting quietly to herself, Aleena gently peeled the blanket away from his face and kissed the boy's cheek. He stirred, flickering a smile her way before turning onto his stomach.

In the bed next to his own was Sonia. The girl slept peacefully with one hand beside her head and the other over her blanket. Her mouth slightly agape, though not a sound came out. Smiling down at her daughter, Aleena brushed her hair away from her eyes and allowed her child to sleep.

In the next bed was Amy... Or so there should have been. To her horror, the little girl was not in her bed. "Amy... ?" Aleena breathed out, tapping onto the blanket to see if she too had covered herself like Manic had. No body was to be found beneath the sheets. "Amy..." Aleena gasped, spinning on her heel and breathing frantically in panic.

Looking back over at her children, she checked over them once more. Manic was sleeping, Sonia too, If Amy was gone, she had an inkling that Sonic would be apart of it too.

She turned to face her son's bed, rushing over to the bed and pulling back the blanket. Beneath the sheets, Aleena discovered the pink hedgehog sleeping beside her son. The duo held one another dearly while they slept.

Relieved to see Sonic and Amy were safe, Aleena smiled and giggled at the adorable duo sleeping. She covered them over with the blanket and left the children to sleep.

It was likely due to the arguement between herself and Jules, followed by their tension filling the house. The poor dears must have been so distraught, they turned to each other in their need for comfort.

Though she couldn't guarantee it was the first time. The pair had always been close, it wouldn't be surprising to learn this was a regular thing.

Was it normal for sibling to cuddle each other to sleep? Possibly. As an only child, she had little knowledge on sibling relationships.

Maybe it was best to ask Jules... When they finally made up.

Heading downstairs, Aleena stopped halfway on the staircase when she noticed her husband opening the front door. He was going somewhere? At this time of night? "Jules... ?"

Stopping in his tracks, the blue hedgehog looked back over his shoulder at the purple woman. The couple stared at one another intensely, neither expressing a sound. While Aleena looked concerned at her husband's actions, Jules stared indignantly back at her.

Ending their gaze, Jules exited the house and closed the door behind him. Confused and worried, Aleena sat down on the stairs and breathed out a shaky breath. A damaged man with previous evidence of inheriting his father's temper was not something to take lightly.

Just what was he going to do?

* * *

Walking along the pavement, the blue hedgehog meditated his own thoughts, mixed with the words of his wife. He was torn between acknowledging her wishes and doing what he truly believed was best for the world their children also lived in.

This fight wasn't just petty clashes with the opposition, this war they were facing. A threat that was determined to bring an end to their civilisation and bring forth a new world. One with very little life, only cyborgs and machinery.

And his wife wanted this for their children? A world filled with devastation?

The naivety of that woman was laughable. Too closed off in her little world of comfort, that even such a threat was deemed as minor. She was blind to the tragedy he had seen. The pain of so many lives.

The only way she would likely understand would to be experience it all happening in front of her. To hold their dying children in her arms and scream from the top of her lungs for justice, only for those cries to fall on deaf ears.

He grimaced at the image of his children so close to death. No. No child of his was to suffer that fate. Not when they themselves held the power to stop it all.

Breathing in deeply, Jules stopped walking and looked up to the sky. He knew there would be a sacrifice. What war didn't suffer from this reality? If his children were to continue living a beautiful life, they would be the ones to maintain that beauty.

They would be the heroes to stop Robotnik.

**Beep beep. Beep beep.**

Certain of his decision, the officer answered the expected call from his superior. "Sir."

"Ah, Lieutenant. The general has informed me of your proposal for a new project that will bring an end to Robotnik's revolution."

"Affirmative, sir." Jules responded.

"Heh..." The major's sneer could be heard through his tone of voice. "So tell me, what kind of technology have you come up with that could destroy the mad man's army of mechs?"

"It's not so much an invention, sir... More like biological marvels." A moment was taken as he experienced a sensation of dread overcome him. Another moment was taken to rethink his decision. He was going against his wife, against his instincts as a father...

But it was for the sake of his children's future. To keep the vision of a beautiful world an everlasting perception.

This was the right thing to do.

"I propose we establish project heroes."


	4. Every Hero has a Weakness

Chapter Four: Every Hero has a Weakness

Weeks of perpetual lies were plaguing the father with guilt. The sorrowful disease getting progressively more toxic with every false word he would use to assure his wife. Where he was taking the kids twice a week, why he wasn't being deployed, the secret calls, the symptoms of guilt making him hot and cold towards his wife. It was a loathsome situation he had put himself in. One that left him continuously on edge.

He never lied to his wife. Never. In her, he had everything; his soulmate, his best friend, the bearer of his children, the one that was his true home. By keeping up with his lies, he ran the risk of losing her, as well as the children.

The risk played on his mind from the moment he ended the call with Major McGrath three months prior. He wanted a perfect family, within a perfect world, and to achieve this, he did what he needed to do. After that particular argument and the demand to never hear of the project again, it was clear that Aleena wouldn't forgive him for what he had done.

Once again, he was battling an internal struggle. As much as he saw his actions as the best thing to do, just who was it best for? The perfect world would mean nothing to him without his wife. And if Aleena couldn't forgive him, what would happen to the kids? As part of military procedure, even his children were locked into the system he had forced them into. There was no easy way out of this now. If he were to lose his wife, they'd have months of legal problems on their case.

God, what had he done?

To make things worse, he wasn't the only one to be keeping the secret. In order to presume their training, the kids were forced by their father to lie to their mother about their weekly whereabouts. Usually day trips to Central City, a day out to the cinema, soft play area. A dozen excuses. All that were orchestrated by Jules.

How much longer could he keep it up? He didn't know. If he couldn't tell her, his guilt most likely would.

"Remember, kids." Jules said cautiously to the children, looking into the rear view mirror at his offspring. "If your mother asks, we've been-"

"Go-karting." The children answered.

"Can we actually go go-karting soon, dad?" Manic asked, his face full of hope.

"Yeah! I wanna kick all your butts on the track!" Sonic snickered.

"First, Sonic, be nice. Second, how about we go on the weekend? You guys have been working so hard lately, you deserve a treat." The dad responded. The children cheered at the small victory.

Sonia on the other hand was less impressed than her siblings. "My idea of a treat would be a nice getaway on a beach, or a massage. All this heavyweight training gets too much."

Acknowledging his daughter's words, Jules frowned to himself and kept driving.

Her brother's looked to each other quizzically, puzzled by their sister's choice of fun. "You should've said. You know I'm good with my fists- I mean hands." The blue boy grinned at his sister.

She did not look too appreciative. "That's exactly why you're not allowed anywhere near me."

"Aw. Afraid of a little bruising?" Sonic teased.

"No. I just don't want to put you in hospital." Sonia bantered with him, a smug smile was flashed his way.

"Ha! You think you can take me on?"

"I don't think, I know."

"Alright, you two. Save that energy for the hero training." Jules told the two rivalling hedgehogs.

Sonia sighed, swooning in her fantasy. "I can't wait to graduate as an official hero. Everyone will be cheering my name and I'll be the star!"

"I can't wait to finally get into the battle and show that Robotnik who he's messin' with." Sonic said, slamming his balled fist into his hand. "Gonna go **BAM!** and **BOOM!** on his army."

Jules chuckled, keeping his eyes on the road ahead. "You still have a few more years before you get close to seeing that mad man, Sonic."

"I know..." His eldest son replied miserably. "I just wanna protect everyone from that big bully."

"And you will. Just keep working hard and one day, you'll be the greatest hero that's ever lived."

"Ahem!" Sonia interjected, visibly offended by her father's obvious favouritism.

Looking back into the rear view mirror at Sonia, Amy, Manic's displeased expressions, Jules smiled sheepishly back at them. "I meant the greatest hero _team_. You know, plural."

"So, heroes?" Manic corrected his dad. He still remained offended by the man's visible appreciation to Sonic. As the second son with no particular showy powers, he was already becoming aware of his place in his father's eyes.

The spare son.

"Exactly!" Jules said with exaggerated enthusiasm.

Arriving at their destination, Jules turned onto the path leading down to the Bethalegion forest, north of Central City. A dense foliage of autumn hues up top of ancient, grand trunks of lumber. They swayed heavily in the bitter cold wind, a whispered tune flowing through the leaves.

The fallen notes from above decorated the ground in a beautiful blend of orange and the reminiscent green from the passed season. All surrounding the multiple paths leading to the lake of rich blue, touched by the icy temperatures of the coming winter.

Parking the car, Jules got out of the people carrier and took out the four children one by one. He walked with the quartet towards the nearby campsite where his superiors and allies waited for the young heroes.

"McGrath!" Sonic said excitedly, dashing to the major's side.

Horrified by Sonic's informal greeting, Jules spoke under his breath to reprimand his son. "Sonic."

Looking to his dad, Sonic suddenly realised his error. "Oh..." He stood to attention and saluted the major. "Sir."

Chuckling, the high ranking officer picked the boy up and hugged him. "There you are, Blue Wind. Ready to show us what you got?" Asked the mighty crocodile.

"You bet! ... Uh, Sir." Sonic replied.

Placing the boy on the ground, the major looked to his father and siblings. "Lieutenant." He greeted the man.

"Sir." Jules saluted.

The crocodile nodded back at the lieutenant prior to crouching down to talk to the kids. "Ah, our heroes. Let's get you all ready for today's training."

"Yes, Sir." The three spoke in unison, saluting the man.

Impressed, the major smiled at their father. "A good array of hedgehogs you have there, Lieutenant."

"Thank you, Sir." Jules bowed his head, momentarily looking at his children with pride.

Feeling the major place an arm around his shoulder, he heard his superior give the command to the general to prepare the children while he walked with the lieutenant to a nearby patrol tent.

"According to our fellas back in analysis, your project is showing great potential, Jules. If we are able to get little Sonic out there and win us our first victory, we could be looking at the age of heroes. And we're talking gifted individuals, like your kids, on a global scale. Less casualties, less destruction; no more Robotnik."

The mention of Sonic heading into battle in immediate effect caused his heart to pang. His son had the ability to become a mighty hero. But at the age of six? He was far too young to experience all that he had.

His paternal instinct controlled the situation. "How much more training is required for him?"

The father's concern was visible in his features, and his tone. "Fear not, Lieutenant. We have no intention of shipping the boy into battle just yet. The training he is receiving is that of an elementary level. Far from the standards of a regular soldier." He patted Jules's back reassuringly. "He will be the face of the heroes program. The leader of the revolution."

Grabbing a file off of the strategy table, McGrath opened its contents and showed the documents to the blue hedgehog. "We've already been looking into more of these unique individuals to join the project. One in particular has caught our attention. A boy, goes by the name of Knuckles The Echidna. A native to Angel Island, A.K.A, Floating Island. He's been identified as the guardian of the Master Emerald-"

"Master Emerald... ?" Jules pondered aloud, unintentionally cutting the major off. "Uh, forgive me, Sir."

McGrath waved his hand, shrugging off the man's interruption. "It appears the legends of Chaos energy and Chaos Emeralds are quite real. The Master Emerald itself had been found on Angel Island, in Downunda. If we are able to find all seven chaos emeralds, we may be able to unlock the ultimate power to stop Doctor Robotnik."

That just begged the question of the purpose of heroes. If they had these chaos emeralds on their side, why would they need to continue the heroes program?

As if reading the lieutenant's mind, McGrath suggested the next plan of action. "From the information we've gathered, we now know that there are certain Mobians with the ability to control chaos energy... With your permission, we would like to see whether this ability lies in your son."

Jules blinked at the man, stunned by what he was asking. "You want to use chaos energy on Sonic?"

"With your consent." McGrath reminded the father. "As the leader of the revolution, having Sonic obtaining the power over chaos will not only provide him with unfathomable power, he will be recognised as a threat to Robotnik himself. The symbol that will show that mad man that we Mobians will not stand down."

His fatherly intuition remained sceptical. "Has there been previous experimentation on Mobians?"

"Ye-es..." The major responded hesitantly. Taking a moment to decide whether to mention the findings of the experiment. Nodding to himself, the crocodile moved over to the right corner of the tent and lifted a black fabric covering a safe. Turning the dial, the safe soon opened and displayed a dozen capsules, each containing priceless artifacts. One in particular was the green chaos emerald.

"Whoa..." Jules gasped at the magnificent jewel, glimmering in it's powerful aura.

McGrath rose to his feet and held the capsule in front of Jules as he delivered him the results of their findings. "Chaos emeralds hold both positive and negative energy. To fully access its power, the user must be one of pure heart. Without one, they hold the power to destroy the world."

The idea of giving that much power and responsibility to a six year old was even more unimaginable than the power the chaos emeralds were to bestow upon users. Sonic was a highly moral child. But he was also just that, a child. No matter how good or bad he could be, he did not hold the maturity to control that type of power.

"Maybe under more training..." Jules said doubtfully, torn between the mission and his role as a father.

"Rightfully so." McGrath agreed, placing the capsule back into the safe. "We do understand this is a lot to comprehend, Jules. Sonic and his siblings do hold a lot of potential, but they are still too young to understand their role in this battle against Robotnik. The chaos emerald will not be used on your children."

Relieved, Jules let out a heavy sigh.

"However..."

His spines raised at the additional dialect.

"After successfully harnessing the chaos energy through our extractor, we have transferred the power into these useful power-ups." He told the lieutenant, pulling out three capsules. "These shoes are designed to give the user an extra boost." He informed Jules, pointing to the hovering shoes in the container. Moving to his hand to the middle capsule, he described it's ability. "This is a shield. It surrounds the user, protecting them from incoming attack."

The technology exhibited before him had the officer mind blown. Not just because of their capability, but due to the confidentiality this type of technology had received. Years of war, many lives taken too soon. Meanwhile, his superiors had this type of power hidden away?

Just what had he been fighting for this whole time? For a distraction?

"Finally, we have rings." McGrath held out a few rings in his hand. Unlike the typical rings used in their currency, these rings held a faint glow around each one. The small gold pieces vibrated gently in hand with chaos energy. "These are Chaos Rings. The more rings the user gathers, the more powerful their attacks will become."

"So only those who can channel chaos energy can use these too?" Jules asked.

"From what we have researched, yes. Although, studies are still going strong. Who knows, if we have every Mobian exposed to chaos energy, perhaps we'll all end up as heroes?" The major hypothesised. "Until then... We can only do what is best for the Mobian race. You understand, don't you?"

An indirect demand for the obligation of the father was recognised by the lieutenant. To sign his kids over as he had done previously. First for mere training. This time, for the opportunity to experiment these power-ups on the innocent little ones.

Golden eyes slowly fell upon his superior's own fiercely dark pair staring back at him. The unsettling silence was shrouded in a thick tension between the two men. Both understanding the one another's burdens, the priority of said burdens being their difference.

"You'll be doing this for them, as much as every other defenceless Mobian, Jules." McGrath reminded him. "For a future, without war, without loss."

Dragging a document across the strategy table, McGrath stepped aside and waited for the lieutenant to step forward.

Dithering in his movement, Jules stepped forward and looked down at the inconceivable might of the contract. A simple piece of paper that held all the authority to hold him accountable for all that was to become of his children. Another reminder to what he had started.

Already taken too many steps into this project, he had gone too far to turn back without legal disputes.

Warily, the father picked up the pen and scribbled his signature on the contract, discarding the pen precariously on completion.

"You've done the right thing, Lieutenant. It may not be clear right now, but in future, you'll see." His superior said, patting his back to commend his actions.

The general entered the tent and stood aside, awaiting to be addressed by the major.

"General Hayes." McGrath acknowledged the male tiger.

"Sir, the children are ready for their training." Hayes informed the officers.

"Excellent. Come, Jules. Time to see the little heroes in action." McGrath said, walking out of the tent with the general and lieutenant close behind him.

The major stood before the waiting children and addressed them with the objective. "Alright, heroes. The equipment given to you are weapons or clothing, designed to bring out your true potential." He explained. He moved in front of Sonic, instructing him on the vest he was wearing. "This vest will track your speed. We will measure how many miles per hour you can run, all the while playing a game of... laser tag!"

"Awesome!" Sonic grinned, looking down at the sensor pads on his shoulders and sides.

Nodding at the boy, the crocodile moved onto Sonia. "You, my dear, have been given a pair of boxing gloves. These will measure your heart rate, as well as the force you use to punch through targets."

"Eh, that's not too bad..." Sonia said casually, checking out the gloves strapped to her hands.

Moving onto Manic, McGrath took a covered tray from one of his soldiers and knelt down before the boy. He unveiled the contents beneath the covering. "You know what these are?" He asked the young hedgehog.

"They're rubik's cubes." Manic answered.

"We're gonna see how fast you can-"

Before the man could complete his sentence, Manic grabbed a rubik's cube from the tray and got to work. The completed cube was placed back on the tray in less than four seconds. "Did you want me to finish off?"

Greatly impressed by the boys intelligence, McGrath laughed and smiled proudly at the green hedgehog. "I expected nothing less from you, Manic." He told the boy. His prideful smile formed into a smirk. "So much so, we have placed you on the engineering panel."

"What?" Jules thought aloud.

Looking over to the father, McGrath waved his hand at him. "Have faith in the boy, Jules. He's a genius. A mechanical one at that."

Witnessing the discouragement shown on Manic's face, Jules corrected his response. "Yeah, no, of course. I believe in you, Manie."

Nodding dishearteningly, Manic faked a smile and looked away from his dad.

Finally, turning to Amy, McGrath smiled at the little girl. "Amy. Dearest, Amy. We're still going through some tests to determine just how special your abilities are..."

"He's calling her incompetent." Manic muttered to his brother.

"Huh?!" Sonic protested, looking to his brother, horrified. "Amy's not incompetent, she's the best one here!"

"We can still go throu-" the major stopped mid sentence and looked to the blue hedgehog, expecting him to continue.

"Sonic." Jules stepped forward and gave an angered face at the boy. He knew how much his son loved to talk back and have his opinion known, but this was hardly the man to have an attitude with.

Ignoring his dad's facial expression, Sonic defended his sister. "So she doesn't have any obvious powers, but she's an all-round fighter! She's acrobatic, graceful, and she can be just as bossy as Sonia. Sometimes even more than her. Doesn't that make her a leader?"

Wanting the boy to continue, the major nodded his head.

"She's got what it takes to be the ultimate hero; speed, strength, loyalty, smartness, and leader-ness."

"It's leadership." Manic mumbled to him.

"Yeah that..." Sonic added. Determined to make his point the final word, Sonic stared sternly at the crocodile. "There's no need to question her, McGrath. She's..." He looked to his youngest sister, smiling fondly in hopes of reassuring her after being made to feel less than worthy. "She's perfect."

Touched by the young boy's sentiment, the soldiers turned to one another and expressed their awe for the blue hedgehog's words. Just as smitten by her brother's support, Amy smiled back at him adoringly.

"You're absolutely right, Blue Wind." McGrath said, rising to his feet. Clicking his fingers, the man received the jewelry he had requested. "That's why we have made these." He held up two gold bracelets before placing them both on Amy's hands. "These bracelets hold the power to spawn a special hammer. We call it the Piko-Piko Hammer, because it makes a funny 'piko' noise whenever it hits something."

Amy giggled at the childish sound McGrath used to describe the noise of the hammer. Her eyes shortly fell onto the two bracelets, flipping her hands back and forth to check them out.

Unintentionally summoning the hammer itself.

"Ah!" Amy shrieked, falling onto her bottom as the hammer appeared in front of her.

"Whoa, cool! It's a magic hammer?!" Sonic gasped excitedly, dashing to the hammer. "Can I use it?" He asked.

"We'll see how Amy gets on with it first, eh?" McGrath said.

Agreeing with the man, Sonic nodded back at him and pulled Amy onto her feet.

The major looked to the forest and pointed at the surrounding pathways. "We have scattered a bunch of item boxes onto the pathway. These item boxes contain three different power-ups; the shield to protect you, the shoes to speed you up, and the rings to give you extra energy. And remember... Have fun." He gave the children a thumbs up and walked to the military patrol vehicle.

Giving the command to the troops, the soldiers ran in sync down the various pathways to guide the children through the forest. Manic was taken by his father and placed in the back of the patrol vehicle and was given a control panel to observe.

"Ready, kids?" McGrath called out to the three hedgehogs in line.

"Yes, Sir!" They responded, preparing themselves to run.

"Go!"

Sonic took off into the forest, leaving everyone in his wake. The leaves fluttered into the air and span violently from his departing turbulence. Huffing at her brother's quick yet thoughtless departure, Sonia ran alongside her hammer-wielding sister onto the same pathway Sonic has taken, straight ahead.

Ensuring the kids had ran a safe distance to follow, McGrath stayed on the lookout while he, Jules, Hayes and Manic were driven by a soldier.

Looking down at the device in hand, Manic clicked on a red alert that appeared in the corner of the screen. Blue prints to an amoured vehicle appeared before him. He stared in awe. "Wow..."

"You like it?" Hayes questioned the boy. "That's the CARRV. Challenger Armoured Repair and Recovery Vehicle. Sixty-two thousand kilograms of pure durium steel, and a powerful engine."

"Yeah. 1200BHP Perkins Condor CV-13?" Manic pointed out, zooming onto the engine on the screen.

Taken back by his knowledge, Hayes breathed out a short breath. "Yeah... You sure know a thing or two about engines, huh?"

Manic nodded proudly. "I usually help my uncle at his garage." He told the general. "The name of the engine is also on the screen."

"Ah..." Hayes chuckled lightly. Looking down at the screen, the general pointed the faults in the creation. "She's still in production. Got a few kinks to sort out before she becomes mainstream. Engineers are working on the speed to compete with Robotnik's mechs."

"What's the competition?" The child asked.

Briefly taking the device from Manic, Hayes uploaded a picture of Robotnik's creations and handed it back to him. "His technology is beyond anything we've ever seen. We believe he's discovered a new mineral to create such powerful, yet fast creations."

Raising his eyebrow, Manic gazed intently at the picture. "Discovered, or created?"

The major's head turned slightly, intrigued by Manic's theory.

"What are you saying, Manic?" Jules questioned his son. "Robotnik made his own kinda metal?"

Manic shrugged. "It's plausible. He's a genius, no? It's not too farfetched to believe he'd create his own kinda metal?" Minimising the picture of Robotnik's creations to the side of the screen, Manic accessed the data on the derium steel and emphasised it's properties. He performed the same actions to retrieve information on rebellum steel.

"Derium steel contains low amounts of carbon, allowing a low harden ability, an okay strength to weight ratio, and wear resistant. It's good for bridges and cars and all, but it's density often slows it down. Your CARRVS has this issue. Sixty-two thousand kilograms of _pure_ durium? You're looking at a maximum thirty-four miles per hour (MPH)."

The general sat gormless and bewildered at the child's knowledge. Equally surprised, yet radiating with pride, Jules leaned back and grinned as Manic continued.

"Rebellum steel on the other hand; extremely low hardening ability, practically impenetrable and a dream to work with. High strength to weight ratio, obviously a high resistance to wear and corrosion. Strong, yet flexible. Had the challenger vehicle been created with this, you'd be controlling indestructible, yet agile transportation."

"But rubellum isn't easy to come by. It's one of the rarest ores to find." Hayes said.

"I know. Which brings me back to my theory. If Robotnik is using rubellum to make his army unstoppable, how is he getting so much of it? By harnessing it's properties and mixing them with various alloys, including durium steel." Maximising the image of the enemy weapons once more, Manic zoomed in on the side of the Egg Fighter. "See? Dense metal here, but a more lightweight material all round."

"You might just be onto something, little man. So you think we need to combine these minerals together?" Hayes enquired.

"If you're wanting to keep up with Robotnik, you're gonna have to get creative. If you're wantin' a fast, yet durable material, definitely try out durium and rebellum. Use alloy compounds to reduce the quantity of rebellum. For speed, try something with good machine ability; Bismuth, lead, sulphur?"

Chuckling at their luck, Hayes nudged the father of the young hedgehog. "You really are a biological genius, Jules. All four children with unique abilities. Talk about hitting the jackpot."

Jules agreed, nodding back at the general. "Yeah. We are pretty lucky..." He turned to his son and smiled affectionately. "The luckiest."

Honoured to receive individual praise from his dad, Manic smiled sincerely, overjoyed by the rarity of the admiration.

"We'll have the engineering team see into it. Great work, Manic." McGrath praised the green hedgehog.

"Thank you, Sir."

"No. Thank you."

Running through the thicket, Sonia and Amy charged with glorious momentum. Cutout targets of Robotnik's robots appeared in front of them, each one made out of a varying choices of wood.

"Haah!" Sonia cried out, smashing through the targets with ease. She raced towards the targets ahead and punched her way through them. The three types of wood displayed were taken down by the girl.

Monitoring the progress of his siblings from the patrol vehicle, Manic read out the findings for Sonia's prowess. "Three varieties of wood were taken down; plywood, beech and maple. The lowest level of force Sonia is giving is two thousand, three hundred, and eighty pounds of force per square inch (PSI). Forty percent more than a punch of an average boxer. With Sonia's effective mass, and the speed she is travelling, this breaks through the plywood easily."

"What's her heart rate?" Jules asked, concerned for his daughter's excessiveness.

"One hundred and thirty beats per minute (BPM)." He witnessed the horror in his father's eyes. "Dad, she's a powerhouse. Maximum heart rate for her, even Sonic, could reach to two hundred, fourteen bpm. As long as she doesn't exceed seventy percent of her maximum heart rate, so roughly one hundred and forty-nine bpm, she's fine."

"How'd she handle the maple wood?" McGrath asked.

Replaying the footage of the shattering wood, Manic slowed down the playback and analysed the information shown before him. "Speed; fifty mph. Power; three thousand, four hundred psi. One hundred percent more pressure than a heavyweight champion."

Jules's lips jittered from disbelief. "But Sonia's, what, twenty-six pounds? How can she endure such a force?"

Manic shrugged, scrunching his features to show his lack of knowledge. "Like General Hayes said, Dad. You have a unique array of hedgehogs. Why does Sonic run so fast? Why's Sonia so strong? Why's Amy so adaptable? It's just how it is."

"As long as these phenomenons can help destroy Robotnik, I won't question their abilities." McGrath said, watching the two girl destroy the targets. "How's Amy coming along?"

"She's doing okay." Manic said. "Heart rate is currently one hundred and ten bpm. Speed; forty-eight mph. Force of her hammer; one thousand, six hundred psi."

"That's above the average rate as one of our soldiers." Hayes mentioned.

"Considering Amy is only five and she is surpassing your average soldier, you would be wise to keep your hopes for her." Manic pointed out, referring to all the adults around him.

Jules leaned back against the vehicle. Amy's performance left him more astounded than his own biological children. Why? Because he had assumed she was one of the average Mobians. While his offspring were expected to have these qualities, she was not.

Maybe growing up amongst the trio was rubbing off on her? Perhaps she was born with high endurance?

Perhaps she herself held the power of strength and dexterity. It begged the question, that was for sure.

Leaping into the air, Amy used her hammer to smash open the capsule containing ten rings. The rings were absorbed by the hedgehog, allowing her to perform high powered attacks. Seeing a target hanging against an oak tree, the girl swung the hammer into the cutout and into the oak behind it. The trunk cracked, it's bark falling to the ground in chunks.

"Ha! The rings do work!" McGrath cheered. "Manic, what's the power on that?!"

"Speeds; fifty mph. Pressure; three thousand, three hundred psi."

"Amazing... So with these rings, she has increased the amount of force in her weapon by one hundred and six percent?" Hayes gasped.

Manic nodded. "Though it's more about wind speed. All trees, regardless of property, will break if hit by wind speeds of forty-two metres per seconds. So ninety-four mph. Amy's travelled above forty-seven mph, half of the required wind speed, thus breaking through the layers of the trunk."

Deflated by the information, McGrath frowned. "Yeah, well... The rings helped." He pointed out. "... Any progress on Sonic-?"

 _"_ WOOHOO!"

The blue blur bolted over the patrol vehicle and back again. He landed on the hood and stood with his arms cross.

"Sonic! Get down from there this instant!" Jules demanded.

Listening to his father, Sonic leapt into the back, in front of his dad. "My bad, Dad. I'm just loving these power ups! The soldiers can't even get close to me with their lasers. Ha! Did you see how fast I went?! Did you see?!"

Smiling hopelessly at Sonic's excitement, Jules leaned to the side and looked to Manic. "Have you been monitoring Sonic's speed?"

"Max is one hundred and sixty mph." Manic replied.

"Sweet! I wanna beat that! Check this out." The blue hedgehog took off again, shaking the vehicle on exit. Getting lost in the forest, the boy smashed through the capsules containing the shoes to speed up.

"one hundred and forty mph." Manic informed the officers. "Heart rate, one hundred and twenty bpm."

Accumulating two speed boosts, the hedgehog raced off through the trees. He grinned exuberantly. Too exhilarated to stop.

"One hundred and eighty mph. Heart rate; one hundred and thirty-six bpm."

He smashed three more speed boosters and darted towards the vast lake, ignorant to it's boundless depths and declining temperature.

"Two hundred, twenty mph... Heart rate; one hundred and fifty-nine bpm... He needs to stop!" Manic said adamantly, standing up and looking down the path Sonic had taken.

"Sonic!" Jules yelled, his call was carried amongst the trees, to the young boy. The echo found its way to the child, but in his elation, the call was ignored.

"STOP THAT BOY!" Ordered McGrath. The soldiers ran towards the lake, passing Sonia and Amy on the way.

"What's going on?" Sonia asked, looking in the direction the soldier had taken.

The patrol vehicle arrived before the girls could comprehend the situation. "Get in!" Jules demanded. He hopped out the vehicle and briskly placing his daughters in the back. He jumped back in and slammed his fist into the side, signalling the driver to move. "Come on!"

Slamming his foot onto the acceleration, the soldier drove towards the lake.

Unaware of his progressive condition, the blue hedgehog stared down at the clear blue water, mesmerised by it's beauty. Watching the surface of the liquid almost solidify to hold him above the water. The harsh turbulence propelled the water behind him, like two pillars providing him with a degree of regality.

In the crisp, open air. Alone in the wilderness, running his fastest speeds with the wind through his quills.

He had never felt so alive.

Yet unfamiliar to the speeds he was running, his body took desperate measures to keep up with his feet. Using up the oxygen in his body, he was forced into short bursts of energy before the symptoms of his excessiveness began to arrise.

His head started to spin, partially blurring his vision. Becoming cautious of his compromised sight, Sonic realised he had to make it back to land and fast. He dashed towards the banks of the lake, his vision just barely witnessed the soldiers awaiting him. Tiny their figures appeared from the distance between them.

He knew not to panic, and yet it was his response. Seeing his vision becoming worse as he endeavoured to make it back to land, the hedgehog panted frantically, retrieving as much oxygen as he could. But his breathing was off, too rapid to gather the necessary dose. The hyperventilation removed the carbon dioxide from his body, narrowing his blood vessels and ultimately increasing his lightheaded condition.

"SONIC!" Jules cried out after witnessing his son unwillingly slow down on the water. The pillars of water that had followed him across the lake gradually settling.

Something was wrong with his son.

"I'm coming, Sonic!" The father exclaimed, rushing into the water and swimming towards the centre of the large lake.

Seeing to the distressed children, Major McGrath looked to his soldiers and pointed to the vast loch. "What are you waiting for? Get in there!" He ordered.

"Yes, Sir!" The troops responded. They hurried into the lake and swam towards the boy.

"Don't worry, children. Sonic's gonna be just fine." McGrath reassured the trio, kneeling down to hug the crying kids.

The reality of the situation couldn't be more differing. His mind and body clashed with their priorities. While he knew he had to get back to land, his body was determined to store as much oxygen as possible. He frantically pushed to the edge of his limits to make it, but his system refused to be pushed any further without the necessary element to survive.

_Come on! Just a bit more!_

_"_ **Sonic!** " He heard his sibling's crying out to him, echoed were their voices under the strained conditions of his mind. He tried to focus on them. Though blurred they appeared, he couldn't help but notice the sheer panic in their voices, the anxiety in their movement.

That was the indication to the life and death situation he was experiencing.

Struck with terror, the child struggled once more to make it to his family. The dreaded thought of never seeing them again reined horror on the unfortunate soul. To never see his mother again, his dad, his brother and sisters...

Amy...

He gasped through the pain of his restricted airways for a chance of survival. The image of his family ingrained in his mind, setting his determination to fight.

"Sonic!" He heard the cries of his youngest sister screaming above the rest. His eyes fell onto the girl, still indistinct from the lightheadedness. The echoed screams stunted his movements, only for a second. That one second was all that it took.

His body dropped into the water.

"NOOO!" Amy wailed, running towards the water. "Sonic!"

Grabbing the child, Hayes struggled to keep her from the jumping into the lake. "Amy, Amy, Amy. Calm down. Your dad is going to save him."

"He just dropped! Why didn't he try and run back?!" She cried anxiously. She struggled once more in the man's arms. "I have to save him!"

"You'll be no better off than him! Now, come on! Leave the rescuing to the soldiers." He insisted, carrying the girl back to the vehicle along with Manic and Sonia.

Looking back at the lake, the children gawped at the scene of their father and the soldiers briskly swimming to Sonic's aid. Guilt washed over the three, each taking personal responsibility for their brother's accident. They were heroes, and they had failed to protect him.

o - o -o - o - o - o -o

Submerged in the darkness, the child appeared lifeless. Still were his limbs, and heavy he had become as he was dragged to the bitter cold chasm.

Though he was very much alive. Conscious and aware of his surroundings. The stabbing pain of the brutal temperatures against his outer being reminded him of that fact. The pressures of the water and the sheer coldness of the wintery lake locked him in a solidified grip. He commanded his arms and legs to move; to do anything, but the freezing water stiffened his bones enough to mercifully surrender.

The pain persisted, a thousand knives delving into him all at once. That soon became a second thought, for a greater pain came internally from his deprived organs. Already overworked, their intolerance to the lack of oxygen was becoming unbearable. His mind now siding with his body, he had the unyielding urge to breathe.

And to breathe would cause his death. Just as much as holding his sacred breath.

Through the agony of his torture, he held onto his last bit of air, his jaw quaking violently from the fight with his system. Less and less oxygen left him enfeebled. The emerging levels of carbon dioxide in his blood triggered the natural reflex to supposed assist his survival.

Breathe.

His mouth ripped open against his will, allowing his lungs to vaccum the icy, fresh water into his system. His lungs flooded, waning his chances of surviving. A short second of panic ensued; unable to differentiate between inhaling and exhaling. With every short breath, more water was suctioned into his lungs.

Thus he succumbed to the water.

As he fell unconscious, the feeling of being lifted was all that fixed into his mind. Resting against his father, the boy was towed towards the surface.

Rising to the surface, Jules breathed in deeply and quickly swam back to land with his son. Reaching the bank of the lake, the father place his unconscious son on the ground and immediately performed first aid.

"Sonic!" His siblings cried, attempting to jump out the back of the vehicle to see their brother.

"Keep those kids back!" McGrath ordered the general. Hayes nodded back at his superior, keeping the children secured, away from Sonic.

A series of chest compressions and rescue breathing were given to the blue boy. After the two initial cycles, Jules feared the worse had already happened to his son. "Come on, Sonic. Come on." He said desperately, breathing into his mouth. He repeated the actions, determined to see his son alive.

To his relief, Sonic coughed up the water that had filled his lungs. He rolled his son on his left side and rubbed his back, allowing him to puke up the water in the midst of his violent coughing fit.

"I gotta get him the hospital, now." Jules told the major.

McGrath nodded back at him and removed his trench coat, throwing it to Jules to wrap around the child. The crocodile rushed to the patrol vehicle and jumped into the driver's seat. "Hurry, get him in the back."

Hurriedly, the lieutenant ran to the vehicle and sat with Sonic in his arms. He looked down at the unconscious child, holding back his building tears as he fought off the consuming guilt. He had caused this. Had he listened to his wife, his son would've been safe.

"I'm sorry." He whispered against Sonic's forehead. "I'm so sorry."

Starting the vehicle, McGrath turned the truck around, stopping for a moment to give the order to the remaining soldiers. "Return to HQ."

"Yes, Sir!" His troops responded.

Hearing his order was heard, McGrath raced out of the forest and back towards Central City. The next forty eight hours were critical for the blue hero. Had the father saved him on time before the lack of oxygen caused irreversible damage?

They were against time, every passing second inflicting more anxiety over the family.


	5. Together, we Prevail

Chapter Five: Together, we Prevail.

_It was just like any other night within the household. Rowdy voices, inconsiderate to the children above their heads. The hallow walls taunted them with the amplified yelling, failing to provide any form of shelter from the harsh reality of their broken family._

_The fights had become routine. With their mother, they would be children; play, laugh and be themselves. By sunset, the ex-veteran would return home while their mother left for 'work'. They would switch on their subservient, docile natures to persevere through their father's extremely stringent, indisputably violent ways._ _On the mother's return, the fights ensued._

_It had become his lullaby; the heated arguments, getting increasingly louder, into the early hours of dusk._

_But that night had been more than petty name calling and brutal words of resentment. The clamorous sounds of smashing and crashing kept the boy wide eyed and panic-stricken. His heart thrashed viciously within him, the strength to chip away at the bone structure of his ribs. The resounding thumps brought on intensive waves of nausea with every reverberating beat of his heart._

_The sounds of his mother's screams found their way up the stairs, through his decrepit floorboards and straight to his ears, lassoing his vital organ and yanking him upright in bed. Sitting adamantly still, the youthful hedgehog suffered through the ruthless calamity coming from downstairs._

_His previous desensitisation_ _from the violence had been erased. This assault on his mother was errant from the usual fights. It was more lethal, more tumultuous, a guaranteed devastation in the aftermath of his father's wrath._

_Logic told him to hide from the danger. To tuck himself into a curled ball, beneath the covers, under the bed, in the wardrobe, wherever he would be out of sight from his dad's temper. If he was still in a frenzy after he was done with the mother, he would, without a doubt, turn on him and Charles._

_Even still, he found himself cautiously getting out of bed and slowly treading towards the bedroom door. Ever so carefully, he turned the doorknob and opened the door, just enough to view the landing. The minimal squeak of the door startled his older brother who had been eavesdropping from the top of the stairs._

_"Jules! What are you doing?! Go back to bed!" Chuck told his brother in a hushed voice._

_"I can't sleep." Jules whispered. "Has he drank too much again?"_

_His older brother grimaced at the pitiful lack of innocence the seven year old held. How he despised his father for his blatant substance abuse. For a child, still bound to single digits of life was already well aware that the excessive drinking played a heavy role in their dad's behaviour._

_Letting out a deep sigh, Chuck held out his hand to the boy. As Jules took his hand, he pulled the young boy in a comforting embrace. The most consoling pair he was to feel from then on._

_"He knows about Warren..." Chuck admitted to his sibling._

_Yes, another accustomed addition to their routine. Rather than going to work, their mother was out of the house every night before the children's bedtime to be with her lover. How did they know this? Because sweet Charles was also her confidant. Her eleven year old son had heard the most despicable tales of his mother's encounters, as well as her secrets. With the promise of sweeties and chocolates, he was sworn to secrecy._

_Her_ _devious guile was a confusing expression of love. But compared to the former soldier's savage punishments, it was by far the lesser evil._

_"You're nothing more than a filthy whore!" Screamed their father, the sounds of more breaking furniture shortly following his outburst._

_"And I'm proud of it!" She yelled back at her intoxicated husband. "At least he knows how to treat me! He made me feel more alive than you ever have in these last twelve years! I live for the minute I can get away from you every evening and be in his arms. If it wasn't for the kids, I'd be out of here ages ago, far from you!"_

_"Why don't you just take the kids and fuck off?! You've been spreading your legs to anyone for so long, how do I even know they're mine?!"_

_The female hedgehog scoffed and laughed mockingly. "You're so off your face on that stuff, you can't even see your boys were unfortunate enough to look just like you!"_

_Offended by their mother's comment, the boys looked to one another miserably. She hid it well, but there was suspicion between the children of their mother's hidden distain. She minimalistically cared for them out of duty, rather than love._

_Because to her, they were just miniature versions of their father. Potential wastes of breath, just like her husband was to her._

_"I wish they were Warren's kids. At least they'd have less chance turning out like complete failures, just like you!"_

_Enraged, her husband charged for her with a balled fisted, swinging in an uppercut for her abdomen. The woman flinch, recoiling back, out of the open living room door and into the hallway. She held her stomach protectively, away from her husband's fury._

_As the towering, faded blue hedgehog prowled towards his wife, he couldn't help but notice her arms shielding her abdomen. He glared down at her hands around the area, the determined yet loving hold only familiar to that of a doting mother._

_"You..." He breathed out, his temper present in his voice. His chest heaved rapidly, elevating up and down too erratically to be considered in good health. The breaths that escaped his flaring nostrils were quick and harsh like the winds of a storm._

_"Don't..." She begged him, holding up her hand in a plead to end his frenzy. The other gripped to her extravagant cocktail dress, hoping to defend the growing life beneath._

_Any pleas from the veridian hedgehog flew over the man's head as he charged for her once more. In her desperation, the mother dropped to her knees, shielding her abdomen from her husband's attacks._

_Though her efforts were in vain. The intoxicated man stood over her, pelting her stomach with brute force from his merciless kicks._

_"Mum, no!" Jules cried, wriggling in his brother's grasp to save his mother._

_"Shut up! Do you wanna be next?!" Chuck slapped his hand over his brother's mouth and restrained him for their safety._

_Ignorant to his sons' watchful eyes, the man ruthlessly attacked his unfaithful wife. Her punishment; death._

_"You fucking bitch! I'll see you dead before you bring his hybrid bastard into this world!"_

_His following actions were ones he would later wrack his mind over for many years to come. He didn't know what had come over him, but in the dire extremities happening before him, he chose to confront it all. In that moment, he faced his biggest fears, sacrificed his wellbeing, and took on the role of a hero._

_Tearing himself out of Chuck's grasp, Jules took off down the stairs and to his mother's aid, hanging himself over her back as a protective covering from the attacks._

_His heroic act seemed to angered his father even further. "What are you doing?!" His dad roared into his ear, the volume of his voice alone had overwhelmed his heart with fear._

_"Please stop, daddy." He squealed, his voice was that of a mouse compared to his father's mighty vocals._

_"You have five seconds to get off of that sad excuse for a mother, or you'll get it too!"_

_"But-"_

_"Five..."_

_It took only a second to detach himself from reality. The fogginess around him lengthened the duration of time, creating a distorted plane of echoed voices and slowed movements. Motionless he remained, stuck in autopilot through the grave situation._

_"Four..."_

_He could feel his mother's heartbeat in sync with his own. Both as intensely rapid and thunderous as a freight train. She stayed as still as him, neither saving herself or her son from the infliction._

_"Three... Two..."_

_Through the eyes of a vulnerable child, he witnessed the man he knew as his father; the man sworn by birthright to love and protect him, reach out his hand towards him. The tragic threat came second to the bitter truth amidst the horrific ordeal. He had thrown his life on the line for his mother, and she refused to save him from the consequences._

_Gripping onto the child's upper arm, the man dragged the terrified boy off his mother and into the kitchen at the end of the hall. The door was slammed behind him, a faint click of the lock preventing his escape._

_"JULES!" Charles ran down the steps and towards the kitchen door, slamming his hand urgently against the wooden barrier._

_Jarring sounds of the father's brutality were hardly contained to the modest kitchen. The walls around the door trembled ever so slightly, alarming the child nevertheless._

_"Dad, please don't do this! He's innocent! He's innocent, dad!" Charles cried, continuing to profusely beat against the door._

_Pulling herself up onto her elbows, the mother stared dissociated at the door. Emotionless she appeared, simply relieved to have her husband away from her._

_Then the alarming realisation kicked in. Her son had taken the beating for her... Her son was behind that door._

_"Jule..." She gasped, frantically scrambling to her feet and racing towards the door. She mimicked her eldest son's actions, pounding on the kitchen door while jittering the locked doorknob. "Julie!"_

_The following few moments lasted for what seemed to be an eternity. Eternal found it's end with the swinging door allowing them access to the child. The father marched passed his wife and son, leaving them with the fatal condition of the youngest boy._

_Rushing into the kitchen, Chuck soon found himself too horrified to see to his brother. The inflammation of the young child's face left him unrecognisable. Just from a glimpse, he believed_ _there was not an inch of the boy's body that was left unharmed._

_"Oh!" The mother wailed for the son. Rushing to his side, she took the boy into her arms and checked to see if he was still breathing. The rash movements triggered her son to groan meekly. "He... He's awake!" She cried. "Charles! Call the ambulance, now! We need to get him to hospital." Her eldest son, still in a state of shock, was in a stunned silence. "Charles, go!"_

_Nodded ever so faintly, Chuck slowly backed away and headed into the living room to reach the home phone._

_"Just stay with me, Jules. Everything's gonna be just fine." His mother said, being cautious of her touch towards the fatally assaulted child._

_The world around him was filled with bright lights and muffled voices. A consistent beep of a heart monitor played in the background before the replacement of an ear-splitting ring chimed through his memory bringing him gradually back to the world around him._

\- o - o - o - o - o - o - o - o -

"Jules? Jules!" McGrath snapped his fingers in front of the man.

Breaking his absent-minded gaze, the Lieutenant blinked and focus himself back into the lobby of the hospital. He, along with McGrath, were waiting outside the emergency department, outside the doors Sonic had been taken through. The children had been taken by General Hayes to the hospital's café to get food after a long, harrowing afternoon.

He blinked again, disorientated and befuddled. That memory, kept in the shadows of his mind, had made an unexpected appearance before him. Bringing forth the repressed emotions of his neglectful, abusive childhood.

... But why?

Great measures had been taken to ensure his past had stayed away where it belonged. Even going as far as to fly across the world with his brother and his beloved. It had been years since he had disgraced himself with the thought of his maniacal father and derelict mother. Now, as his son lay insentient, under critical conditions, he thought of his childhood trauma?

Discipline of the mind was given by his conscience. His attention had to remain on his son, not on past traumas.

But even his conscience couldn't deny the little similarities to the trauma he now regrettably shared with his boy. They had both suffered under the hand of their parents. Though unintentional, he brought a resonating pain onto Sonic. One he would carry on his person, forever.

As evident as his own memories had shown.

"Jules..." McGrath attempted to get through to the father once more.

Aware enough to acknowledge the major's call, Jules looked to the crocodile beside him. He followed the man's instructive gaze onto the woman before them. A nurse had patiently waited for the hedgehog to gather his thoughts and hear about Sonic's condition.

"Oh!" He jumped to his feet and grasped the woman's upper arms anxiously. "Sonic, my boy. Is he okay?" Seeing the woman look down at his right hand against her arm, Jules quickly released her. "Sorry..."

"That's quite alright, Sir. I understand it must very difficult to deal with... I do have some news in regards to Sonic's condition..."

"Yeah? What is it then? He's alright, isn't he?" The father asked desperately.

The nurse gave him a small, sympathetic smile. "The good news is, he was pulled from the lake right on time. The temperatures of the water must have triggered the diving reflex, preserving the vital organs. And thanks to the cardio-pulmonary resuscitation (CPR), he received enough oxygen to not suffer any brain or spinal injury."

Jules breathed out a relieved sigh, smiling momentarily at the news. "Ah, thank God..." His smile vanished upon re-evaluating what she had said. That was the good news, she was about to hand him the unfortunate information. "And... What's the bad news?"

Showing her sympathy through her eye contact rather than a smile, the nurse delivered the bad news. "The cold temperatures of the water has given Sonic hypothermia-"

"W-what does that mean exactly? Will he survive?" Jules interrupted her with his fearful questioning.

"Let her finish, Jules." McGrath advised the man, holding onto his shoulder comfortingly.

"Hypothermia can unfortunately be fatal if a person's body temperature drops between twenty-eight and thirty-two degrees. After testing Sonic's core temperature... It is currently under what we call a moderate case of hypothermia. But, we are providing him with heated inhalation oxygen and warmed fluids. We're monitoring his heart rate and ensuring he keeps warm with insulated blankets. We expect his core temperature to rise on an hourly basis, but we will have to keep him in for a least three days, just to make sure all functions are stabilised before he's discharged."

"Can we see him?"

"I will need a confirmation from the doctor, I'm afraid. Sonic did eventually come round, but he's still in a confused state of mind; a common symptom. As you can understand, it can be overwhelming to be surrounded by multiple faces when lethargic."

"Yeah... Absolutely..." He agreed woefully. Deflated and emotionally wrecked, the blue hedgehog dismissed the conversation. "Thank you." He muttered, slumping back onto the chair.

Nodding to the lieutenant, the nurse left the man to wallow against the seat. He buried his face in his hands, hiding his emotions.

Pitying the father, McGrath sat beside him and tried to provide as much comfort he could muster. "I'm sure Sonic will be fine. He's a fighter. A strong one at that."

Holding back his tears, Jules removed his hands from his face and stared blankly at the ground. "Yeah he is strong... Perhaps even stronger than his shit excuse for a father..." He spat with immense revulsion towards himself. "How do I go on? Knowing the reason my son, my sweet little boy, is in here because of me?"

"You don't focus on the accident. You don't focus on any of the negative..." McGrath said assertively. "You face it all, head high and strong, knowing that this was an unfortunate circumstance that occurred when you were doing the right thing for your family... You are a soldier. We all have something or someone we're protecting from the tragedies of war. And what we sacrifice, is for the greater good."

Exhaling his heavy emotions, Jules ran his hands down his drooped quills. "I'm his dad. I'm supposed to protect him." An overwhelmed sob sounded from the blue hedgehog as the tears dispersed from his tear ducts.

"You saved him out there. No one else. The nurse; even she told you. Without the CPR, he might've been dead."

Sniffling quietly, Jules sighed once more and blinked the remaining tears away. As distraught as he was, the major was right. As a soldier, he needed to remain strong for his boy. For his family.

"Where is he? Where's my son?!" A distressed female barged through the doors of the emergency department. In her hysteria, she failed to notice her husband and the major sat down near the wall.

A stunted breath was released by her husband upon realising his wife was now ahead of him. The rhythm of his already aching heart fell into a fleeting frenzy out of terror. He only just mustered the strength to hold it together. He couldn't face his wife now.

Keeping his head low, the hedgehog held onto his final moments before he was to be decimated by his spouse.

"Nurse?" Spoke one of the doctors. "What are you doing? This is not your department." He approached the frantic woman, realising her disturbed nature.

"My son was brought in. I need to see him." She insisted, attempting to walk passed the man.

Gently grasping the woman's shoulders, the doctor tried to reassure her. "Calm down..." The man looked down at her name badge before continuing to calm the woman down. "Aleena. I'm sure the doctors and nurses are caring for your son accordingly."

"I need to see him." She repeated, shrugging his hands off her shoulders.

"N-nurse!" The doctor stammered, grabbing her once again by the arm. "I understand this is difficult for you, but there is a reason why we have protocols in place in regards to caring for a loved one. It would be stepping out of boundaries..."

The mother's eyes widened in her outrage. "Boundaries? Let me tell you something, Doctor Fawkes. I have two jobs; the first is a mother, the second is a nurse. I categorise those jobs by priority, because my children mean a lot more than my patients, or this hospital with its ridiculous protocols. Now unhand me and let me see my son or so help me I'll-"

"Alley." Jules stopped his wife from going any further. He rushed over to the purple hedgehog and took her hand in his.

"Jule... I-" Aleena stuttered, surprised to see him appear from the waiting area rather than the entrance.

Clearing his throat, the doctor bowed his head towards the couple, ignoring the nurse's moment of unprofessionalism. "I shall see how your son is getting along. What is his name?"

Now embarrassed by her behaviour, Aleena looked down at the ground, unable to answer the doctor. Reading his wife's mannerisms, Jules held her close and responded to the man. "Sonic. Sonic The Hedgehog."

He nodded his head once more and proceeded to walk towards the double doors. Slotting his key card through the card reader, the door beeped and allowed him through.

Jules reluctantly took his eyes off of the doors and looked to his troubled spouse. "Aleena-"

"What happened, Jules?" She questioned him, looking up at him fretfully. "I heard he was rushed in due to drowning. H-how is that possible? You took them go-karting. L-like the last time I checked, they didn't have pools, o-o-or fountains on the circuit."

The bountiful anxiety was clear in her speech. Stumbling over every other word as if she was racing against the clock. And her eyes. Oh those delicate emeralds danced so jittery, it was scarring to gaze at them.

Being the cause of her shattering emeralds only added more remorse.

But she needed to know exactly what had happened. It was her right as their son's mother, as his wife. "About the go-karting... I-"

Before he could continue, the crocodile appeared from behind Jules. He bowed his head to the mother as an expression of his condolences. "Ma'am..."

Aleena's eyes fell onto the major, aghast and thunderstruck. In her stunned silence, the nurse stepped away from her husband and maintained her wide-eyed gaze at the major. His military attire confirmed who he was. To her dismay, it confirmed many things she distressingly wanted to deny.

The months of being home, the odd behaviour her husband expressed, and frequent day trips with the kids...

He had gone against her wishes and signed their babies over to the army... In doing so, it had resulted in a horrific accident.

"Alley..." Jules said apologetically, reaching out his hand to her.

The look she gave him as her head shot in his direction was enough to make him retract his gesture and take a step back. A look of enmity and harrowing abhorrence. His actions had torn through the enriched layers of their foundation and envoked a rift between them. His bestowed title of husband and father now tarnished, she expressed her loss of respect and mortification.

Her anger wasn't the most deadly symptom she displayed from his betrayal. It was the desolation that had struck her deeply, leaving her torn and anguished. All the trust she had in him, just stripped away in a matter of moments. Her only safe place, in her husband's arms, had been destroyed.

The only person she could turn to for anything and everything, was the cause of her devastation.

An abundance of fresh tears pours down her face, burning her overworked eyes. Passed the stringing sensation, her sights never left her husband. Through them, she translated her rage and resentment to the man she could no longer consider her partner.

"Mum!" Called the children as they ran towards their mother eagerly for comfort.

Snapping out of her deadly gaze, Aleena displayed the finest, artificial smile as she turned to her children and knelt down with her arms open wide. "My babies." She said with relief. Taking all three in her arms, she held them dearly and kissed them individually on their heads. "I've missed you so much."

"Have you seen Sonic?" Amy asked.

The mother shook her head, appearing as hopeful as possible for the sake of the children. "Not yet. But the nice doctor has gone to check on him. Once he says we can see him, we'll all go together. Sound okay?"

Her children nodded back at her, reassured by their mother's certainty. With another smile, more genuine than the last, Aleena hugged the children once more, gathering as much security as they extracted from her.

Jules stared down at his family, pained by the emotional distance he had created. It was just as he had feared. By sacrificing his children, he had ultimately lost his wife's affection.

Whether he had completely lost her was to be determined.

"Mr and Mrs The Hedgehog?" Doctor Fawkes called for the couple. The parents looked to the doctor, both as relieved to see the man standing at the doors.

Huddling the children, Aleena rose from the floor and hurried over to the doctor. Jules on the other hand stayed in position. He was in a state of limbo, unknowing of his wife's feelings towards him, or whether she wanted him anywhere near their son. There was so much to say, yet so little time.

"Jules." Aleena sternly beckoned her husband to joined them. She looked back at the man with a scowl across her features. Her indignation against him was clear. Nevertheless, she had placed her emotions aside for the father to see his boy.

Walking to the blue hedgehog, McGrath tapped the father on his shoulder. "We'll make our leave now, Lieutenant. Keep me updated on Sonic's progress."

"Yes, Sir." Jules responded, lacking assertion.

The dejected father received a pat on his shoulder from the major. "You've got this. Be strong for your family."

Nodding back at the crocodile, he turned back to his wife and children, seeing their melancholic faces. He took in a much needed breath, adamant to keep himself together for the sake of his family. To remain strong for them was his objective. He was not going to fail them again.

\- o - o - o - o - o - o - o -

"Sonic? Sonic, sweetie? Your family is here to see you?" The nurse coaxed the boy out of his lethargic condition.

Constricted by the thermal blankets, the young boy tilted his heavy head ever so slightly towards his family. His eyelids were two dumbbells to lift, cumbersome in his weakened health. The same density travelled throughout his body, leaving him dead weighted on the hospital bed.

Copious amounts of tubes provided the boy with heated oxygen and fluids, progressively heating his defrosting body. The rhythmic sounds of his heart played on the monitor beside his bed. The tune that had previously been dangerously feeble.

Aiding the child to view his family, the nurse clicked on the remote to adjust his bed, allowing him to be in a slight upward position.

"Oh, Sonic." Aleena breathlessly cried. "My little baby blue..." She leaned down and rubbed his pale cheek, somewhat taken back by the numbing coldness.

"M-uh..." Sonic muttered. He was aware of her presence, a wavering shade of purple hovering over him. "M-uh..."

"Sssh... It's okay, Sonic. Mummy's here now." She cooed, continuing her comforting caresses against his cheek.

His father gawped at his fragile son. The reality of his son's health slapping him so hard, it tore at his heart. When informed of his hypothermia, he assumed it meant he was simply cold and needed to be warmed up. Seeing the boy strapped to drips and monitors, his face covered by an oxygen mask assisting his recovery... He choked on his intake of breath.

"Sonic..." Jules muttered, making his way to the opposite side of the bed. He towered over the little hedgehog woefully, slowly bringing his hand to stroke his quills back. The coldness made his body jitter. "I'm so sorry."

Jules gripped onto the bedframe tightly, wringing the bar between his mighty hands. His remorseful tears splashed against the metal, one by one, each holding his failings as a family man; a father.

Stood in the middle of the room, the children held the same reaction as their dad. Heartbroken at the sight, bewildered by the appearance of their older brother. The shock kept them in place. Together, they huddled, consoling one another.

Looking up at his agonised children, Jules held out his hand to them. Without a wasted second, the children rushed over to their father and clinged to him, crying into his cobalt fur. He knelt down and pulled them all into a hug, squeezing them tenderly.

"What's his core temperature?" Aleena turned to the nurse. By analysing his symptoms, she concluded he was suffering from hypothermia without her husband having to inform her.

Understanding the senior nurse would have a high extent of knowledge, the nurse was cautious in her answer. "From the last results; taken thirty minutes ago, Sonic's temperature was at thirty-three degrees."

"And that's with the assistance of the active rewarming?" The nurse nodded back at her. Momentarily attacking Jules with piercing eyes, the mother continued to interrogate the woman. "I want to see the ECG scan."

The nurse hesitated. "Ma'am... With all due respect, I..."

"I didn't ask for your respect. I asked for the scan results. Let me see them." She held her poised demeanour despite her growing temper. She held out her hand, awaiting the documents.

Though hesitant, the nurse nodded and provided the documents to the purple hedgehog. She analysed the findings attentively, being mindful of the times stated on each test. From her observations, she found her son had been given advanced life support to ensure his survival. His core body temperature had been a critical twenty-eight degrees.

He had been in the hands of death just hours prior, clingy on with every heartbeat.

Holding back her tears, Aleena flashed her repulsion towards her husband. An overwhelming bloodthirstiness plagued her mind. Vengeance for her son on the man that had crossed one too many lines and caused her son's near death experience.

She never believed such hatred could come from her, towards the man she devoted herself to.

"Sonic will be okay, won't he?" Manic looked to his mother, hoping she would give him a more in-depth analysis.

His mother stretched her arms across the bed and grasp her son's hand. "Absolutely, sweetheart. His temperature is rising and that's the main thing. He's going to be just fine, because he's out little fighter. Until then, we'll remain strong for him..." She looked to her husband, fire igniting in her eyes. "Won't we, honey?" She questioned her husband passive aggressively.

Sensing his mother's anger towards his dad, Manic gradually turned from the purple female, to his father.

Caught off guard by her civility, Jules looked to the woman, surprised for a moment, but quickly understanding the situation. For the children, they were civil. Their problems were catastrophically placed at the back of the list. Resentment promised to fester, but that was the sacrifice he would happily take for save face.

He quickly nodded back at her, grateful for her graciousness. "Yeah. Of course we will."

"M-uuuh..." Sonic groaned. His voice sounded his ache, coarse and heavy.

Eyes darting back to her son, the mother saw his internal struggle showing on his features. Looking to the heart monitor, she gasped to see his heartbeat escalating.

"Sonic-"

**Beep, beep, beep beep. Beep, beep, beep beep.**

"What's happening?" Jules questioned the nurse. "What's wrong with him?!"

"Muh... Muh..." Sonic coughed and wheezed violently.

The alarm beeped over the sound of the monitor, signalling for the doctors. Two doctors rushed into the room, along with three nurses. The nurse who had been present with the family began to usher the family out of the room.

"I want to stay with him. Let me stay with my boy." Aleena demanded, attempting to budge her way passed the woman.

"I'm afraid not, ma'am. Please let us do our job." The nurse insisted.

"Can't you at least tell us what's happening?!" Jules cried.

"It looks like it's secondary drowning? However, I can't be certain until we run more tests. Please, return to the waiting room until we have dealt with the issue."

Aleena looked to her son once more, desperate to stay beside her son. "But-"

Doctor Fawkes looked to the mother with a stern expression. "Mrs The Hedgehog. You have already caused a disturbance in the department and I have respectfully let it slide. If you continue to cause a scene and distract my nurses from tending to the patient, I will have no choice but to speak to the head of your department. Now, I insist you leave and let us press on with our duty."

Brought to a woeful silence, Aleena stared at her son and she was escorted from the room with her husband and children. As the doors were closed behind them, the image of her convulsing son scarred her.

The few moments of critical instability were to leave a deep cut embedded in her heart.

* * *

It had been a protracted, gut-wrenching couple of days in and out of the hospital. Each second a seeming eternity. Even with Sonic showing signs of recovery, his admission into the hospital had undoubtedly created dysfunction for the family. Stress and anxiety ruled over them, routine fell into disordered schedules, and a general gloom lay within the home.

But the family still remained hopeful for the blue hedgehog. No amount of fear could deter their belief in the young fighter. Everyday they would gather around the boy's bedside and reassure him that he would be okay. Their strength transpired into him, allowing him to overcome the hypothermia in just forty-eight hours.

Though it was quickly discovered after his violent coughing fit, that the boy had developed chemical pneumonitis during his unconsciousness. His inability to naturally expell his stomach acids when puking the water from his lungs had triggered the irritation in his lungs, causing inflammation to the already injured organs. After receiving the treatment necessary for his condition, he was fit enough to be discharged by day five. Granted that he remained wrapped up warm and given liquids for more or less two weeks, until the ache from the irritated lungs settled.

To Sonic's dismay, this translated to remaining tucked up in bed with one too many blankets, an electric heater stationed beside him, and all doors and windows must be closed when in his presence.

His mother was smothering him. Though out of love, her overbearing ways were giving him more grief. He had experienced glacial temperatures, and now his mother was bringing him to temperatures of lava.

But mother's love came with the nightly treat of hot chocolate, with cream and marshmallows, so it wasn't all bad.

"Open your mouth and say 'ah'." Amy instructed her brother, holding a toy thermometer in hand.

Dressed in a pretend nurse outfit, Amy nursed her brother back to health. His youngest sister had remained glued to his side since his return home. His second shadow. She helped him to eat his liquidised meals, helped to keep him wrapped up in coats, jackets and scarfs. Unbeknownst to their mother, she had also been sneaking chocolate to the blue boy. An appreciated luxury after being forced to consume his mother's variety of soups.

The accident had brought them even closer. Something their parents didn't think was possible. Their bond was mildly concerning towards the father. As a sibling himself, he noticed their dynamic was... off. Compared to Sonic and Amy's interactions with Manic and Sonia, it made their relationship seem (As Jules called it) odd.

But even their parents didn't have the ultimate ability to limit their interaction. Life distracted them, routine kept them from surveillance. In the cracks of their conventional everyday, their bond continued to flourish.

Smiling at the pink hedgehog, Sonic obliged to her request and opened his mouth. "Aaaahhh."

Taking the thermometer out of his mouth, Amy shook her head and faked her disappointment. "This is bad. Very bad, Mister Sonic. Your temperature is one thousand degrees! But fear not, I have a cure!" She rummaged through her pocket and pulled out a bite size chocolate bar. Crinkled the package became from the humid temperature of the room that had melted the confectionery. "Oops..."

"At least it's in liquid form now." Sonic grinned. He sat up in his bed, helping his sister climb up beside him. Taking the chocolate from the girl, he unwrapped the sugary snack and pulled off the first two melted pieces, giving the rest to Amy. The chocolate decorated their mouths. A comical cosmetic.

"Hahaha. Your face!" The brother laughed.

"My face? You look like a clown!" Amy laughed along with him. A giggling session ensued for just under a minute, until Sonic wheezed from his aching, recovering lungs.

Sympathetic towards her patient, Amy lightly patted his back through his coughing fit. She reached over and grabbed his cup of warmed water. Eager to cool his irritation, Sonic grabbed the cup and gulped the water down with disgust.

"Yuck! Warm water?" He groaned and placed the cup on the ground. "Seriously, mum's going overboard with this warming stuff. I'm sweating buckets!"

"She just wants you to get better, Sonic. We all do... It was scary to see you in the hospital, the way you were. At one point we really thought you'd..." She paused, unable to speak with her growing emotions. The images of her brother's condition brought on the multiple tears cascading down her face.

"Ames. It's all good. I'm fine now. I mean, I'm a little wheezy at times, but I'm good overall. Don't worry." Sonic tried to reassure her.

"I know." She croaked. "But after seeing you trying to breathe, I... I thought it was the end."

Her sobs prevented her from speaking any further. Her heart spoke it's agony through tremendous tears cascading down her cheeks. There was mixture of sadness and relief. Days of the morbid thoughts had been lifted the moment he was carried back through the front door. A life without him didn't seem worthy of continuing. She was grateful and exhilarated to know that wouldn't be the case.

Rolling his eyes playfully, Sonic wrapped his arm around the sobbing girl and held her comfortingly. "No worries. It's gonna take more than an oversized pool to get rid of me. You're gonna be stuck with me for a million, billion, zillion, willion years!" He chuckled.

Giggling at his fabricated numbers, Amy relaxed against his shoulder, smiling up at him admirably. "I hope so. I want to be with you forever and forever."

Hearing her sweet words purveyed the peculiar feelings in his gut. A warm, fuzzy feeling he only felt when in the pink hedgehog's presence. He couldn't explain the sensation, nor why only she managed to trigger it. It had always been there, from what he could remember. Only now, it had grown to a noticeable amount.

It was like an intensified feeling of the emotions he felt to the rest of his family. He loved them all dearly. He just deemed Amy as the leading benefactor of that love.

Resting his head against hers, Sonic smiled to himself and closed his eyes, contently relaxed. "Love you, Amy." He spoke the typical words to her innocently, too young to fully understand his own emotions.

"Love you too, Sonic." She smiled brightly back at him, nestling against his shoulder.

Reclining against his bedframe, Sonic gently rubbed her shoulder, enjoying the tranquil moment, free from his mother's badgering and his father's scoping eyes. And with Manic and Sonia taking advantage of the leaf piles in the garden, they were able to enjoy one another's company. A treasured moment.

Their treasured moment was soon brought to an end with their mother stepping into the room. She paused at the door, tray in hand, blankly staring at her children. Her presence caused them to quickly disperse from their hug and stare back at her dumbstruck and blanketed with shame.

They knew better than to share the same bed, to be cuddled for too long. It was an order, given by their father after he had learnt his children were continuously sleeping beside one another. A few family meetings with their parents had confirmed their behaviour was not favoured, acceptable. He would not tolerate their rebellious nature to defy him. He would not let their relationship develop to uncomfortable levels.

But what was done behind closed doors couldn't hurt him, surely?

The gaze between mother and children intensely persisted, every painful second piling on the guilt for the little ones. Their relationship hadn't been much of an issue for the mother. Their bond was something she had always found adorable.

But to know her children were capable of holding secrets behind their father's back, was concerning. If they were still cuddling each other when alone, who knew if they were still sharing a bed?

Breathing out a faint sigh, Aleena smiled at her children, brushing off her concerns for another time. "I've bought you some soup, Sonic. If you eat it all, you can have custard for dessert... Though it seems you've already had your own dessert." She looked to Amy with false disappointment. "Amy..."

"Sorry, mother..." Amy apologised for the supply of chocolate.

Giggling lightly, the purple hedgehog placed the tray on the end of Sonic's bed prior to holding out her hand to her youngest child. "Come on, dear. It's time to have your dinner."

Saddened to leave her brother, Amy pouted as she hopped off the bed and took her mother's hand.

"Can't I come down for dinner?" Sonic asked.

Aleena smiled sympathetically back at him. "It's not as warm downstairs, honey. But don't worry, I'll be right back to keep you company."

Though he was moderately dissatisfied by the replacement of his visitor, he smiled gratefully nonetheless.

Watching his mum and sister leave the room, Sonic sighed and looked down at the bowl of soup on the tray. He grunted, disgusted by the bland liquid. Placing the tray on Sonia's bed, Sonic crawled under Amy's bed and grabbed a chocolate bar from the stash she had been collecting for him.

Hastily discarding the wrapper, the hedgehog gleefully scoffed the sweet treat into his mouth, admirably thinking of the pink hedgehog who had risked the wrath of their mother to stock a plenteous amount of chocolate for him to get through the ordeal of an overprotective mother.

* * *

Sat on the edges of their king-sized bed, Jules delicately ran his fingers down the photo frame in his hand. A picture of the perfect family he had unintentionally divided. He brushed over the stilled image of his wife. Happiness glowed on her beautiful features. Something he had taken for granted and now desperately craved.

Her smile. So radiant and sweet, was a sadly missed memory. The events of Sonic's accident, even with his full recovery, had been no joyous victory. Her heart contained her grief while a beaming smile shown down on the children. She was giving everything she had, even with nothing left.

And he was left to just doddle on the sidelines. Everytime he stepped in to help, she rejected him, insisting she could handle it. At one point, she had claimed only she knew how to handle _her_ children. Whether it was a deliberate jab or not, it made him feel like an outsider. The unwanted party.

She had emotionally blocked him. Understandable as to why, but her distance left him in the dark on where he stood. His previous attempts to get her to talk to him had failed time and time again. She didn't want to hear anything. Honestly, she didn't want him anywhere near her.

It was frustrating to say the least. If she couldn't trust him ever again, then he'd leave, arrange some sort of shared custody deal. It would hurt tragically to divorce her, but at least it would end this pointless suffering.

He would do anything to fix what they had. If only she would let him back into her heart...

"NOOOO!"

The boy screamed a bloodcurdling scream. A loss of security and impending doom conquered him, expelling into a violent, desperate outburst. He coward into the corner of his bedroom; nose riddled with liquidised mucus dribbling down his scarlet red, tear stained face. His spines spiked disorderly, sharp to the touch. A symptom of his petrified state.

Knelt down before him, Aleena held out her arms to her terrified child. A honeyed smile attempting to fill him with the confidence he needed to face his demons. Her encouraging words could do little for the scarred hedgehog however. If she attempted to get close to him, he darted to the other side of the room, disobeying the recommendation to not use his speed.

"Sonic. Please... At least try to bathe. You could just dip your feet in the water." His mother tried to persuade him.

Her son shook his head rapidly. "LEAVE ME ALOOOONE!" He screamed at her.

Heartbroken to see her son so distraught, Aleena crept closer to him, seeking to hold him and let him know there was nothing to fear. He wouldn't drown in her presence.

"Sonic..."

"Don't make me. Please!" He begged through his blubbering. His irrational breathing caused extra stress on his lungs, bringing on his wheezing.

"Honey, it's okay. I promise nothing will happen to you."

Standing beside a baffled Manic and Sonia, Amy slowly crept forward towards her mother and cautiously aided her in the persuasion.

"You can share a bath with me, Sonic. Can't he, mum?" Amy looked to her mother.

That option seemed plausible, if it weren't for Jules's strict rules for the pair. The last thing he would appreciate was the duo sharing a bath.

But what exactly was the harm in kids sharing a bath? If anything, it was Jules that was making the situation weird. With Amy with them, she could potentially persuade Sonic to enjoy playtime in the bath. An array of toys and limitless imagination was the therapeutic experience he needed to overcome his newly developed aquaphobia.

"That sounds like a wonderful idea." Aleena said, caressing her daughter's cheek affectionately. "How does that sound, Sonic? Do you want Amy to play with you in the bath?"

The option calmed him slightly, lowering his sharp quills. Still apprehensive, Sonic remained in the corner, blinking inquisitively. Slowly, he took a step forward towards his mother, reaching for her welcoming hand.

"What's going on?" Jules asked as he stepped into the room.

"Sonic doesn't want a bath." Manic explained.

"What, why?" The father looked to the blue boy, seeing him become timid from his presence.

"Jules, leave it. I've got this." Aleena said adamantly, refusing to look back at him.

He frowned at his wife. Again, she attempted to leave him out of the parental responsibility. Impatience and frustration lead his emotions. He had grown tiresome of being the outcast in his own home. Something he couldn't tolerate any longer.

"Yeah, you've got this... Is that why you've got him cowering in a corner, screaming like a little brat!" Jules nagged the mother.

His dad's remarks stole the remaining confidence the boy had mustered. He slowly retracted his hand and looked away, embarrassed.

Her son's withdrawal stung her heart. It took a lot of strength for him to consider taking on his fear, now he was back to being uncertain. Fearful. For what? Because Jules decided to take his frustration out on a child?

"Jule, just leave it to me. Sonic's going to take a bath with Amy and-"

"Wait, what?" Jules stopped the woman from continuing. "He's _not_ sharing a bath with her."

Aleena rolled her eyes and stood up to explain the situation. "Look, it's just for one bath. They'll just play with their toys, splash about and remind Sonic that bath time can be fun."

"So we agree that their relationship isn't normal, and instead of trying to separate them, you insist they share a bath?" He squinted his eyes towards her, showing his disagree to her logic. "You understand that's the opposite of separation, right?"

"I don't need to be lectured on going against agreements from somebody who disrespects his wife's wishes on the wellbeing of their children! I know what is best for him so stay out of it!"

He scoffed at her, laughing obnoxiously to her claims. She had always been the softer parent. The one that tried to negotiate with them, as if they knew what they wanted. Their children needed direction, discipline. None of this mollycoddling she used for a parenting style.

Turning to the young boy, Jules crouched down before him and smiled passively. "Alright, son. Bath time."

Sonic looked over his dad's shoulder to his younger sister and mother, wary to follow his dad's more forceful demands to face his fears. He looked back at his dad, conflicted with the choice to either disobey his father and face his fear, or be true to himself, knowing he wasn't ready to jump straight into any contained water; shallow or deep.

"Sonic... Come on." Jules impatiently coerced the child.

With jittery breath, he answered his father. "N-no..."

"What was that?" Jules asked, leaning forward slightly, believing he misheard his son defy him.

More nervous than before, Sonic blinked rapidly at his father and gathered enough courage to stand up to his dad. "I-I don't want to..."

The father frowned disapprovingly to the child. Unlike his mother, he wasn't going to sit around and try to persuade him. "I wasn't giving you a choice." He told the boy, grabbing him by his waist and taking him into his arms. He stood up with his panicked son in arms and carried him pass his mother and siblings. "It's bath time."

"No! I don't want to! I don't want to!" Sonic cried out, attempting to escape his dad's tight grasp.

"Jules!" Aleena called out to her husband as she rushed after them. "Put him down! He's not ready yet."

"Nonsense! He's just a little rusty after the accident. He'll be fine once he dips his feet in the water." Jules said, continuing towards the bathroom.

The sheer terror returned to the blue boy. His quills spiking in an disorderly manner, along with his voice. He screamed for his mother to save him and attempted to escape once again by thrashing around, violently hitting his dad's chest in the process.

"Sonic, stop!" Jules ordered.

"PUT ME DOOOOWN!" His son screamed at him, screeching until he was red in the face.

"Stop crying, now! You're supposed to be a boy! Stop acting like a spoilt brat!"

The hurtful words were a familiar speech given by her husband's father all those years ago. She remembered them well. Hearing the intoxicated man yell at his son for playing what he proclaimed as 'feminine' games with her in adolescence. The stereotypical, degrading words that shamed her husband into masking his interests were now used on her son.

To conceal his feelings, like a good little boy.

Disgusted by her husband's attitude, Aleena rushed in front of him, blocking him from the bathroom. "Give him to me." She demanded, staring at him sternly.

"I've got this." He denied her.

"M-mummy..." Sonic cried, holding out his hands to his mother.

"You're scaring him. Please, just let me hold him." Aleena said.

"He doesn't need you smothering him all the time. He's not a baby anymore." Jules stated firmly.

"No, he's a boy. A little boy with feelings and emotions. Stop forcing him to be who _you_ want him to be!"

Too frustrated to let go of his stubbornness, Jules budged passed his wife. "I'm trying to get him in the bath, that's all."

Aleena step in front of him again. "Give him to me." He repeated.

"No!"

"Jules. Give him to me!" Aleena demanded, wrapping her arms around her son's waist.

"Aleena. Let me give him a bath!"

"Give him to me-" As the purple hedgehog tried to take her son, the young hedgehog's blue spines shedded from his back and into her arm. She recoiled, gripping her arm to the sudden, sharp pain. "Argh!"

Her eyes instantly widened to the four spines embedded in her arm. She looked to her boy, seeing him shaking in his father's arms. The poor boy had been so distressed from the stressful atmosphere, his spines had detached.

"Oh... Oh my poor baby..." Aleena cried, pulling the boy out of his father's arms and cuddling him. She rubbed his nerved spikes, hoping to ease his anxiety. Sonic cried against his mother's chest, gripping her tightly.

Jules stared at the blue spines sticking out his wife's arm, small patches of blood spilled from the opening of penetrated skin, slowly dripping from the wounds. Horrified, he realised the error of his behaviour. "Sonic, I... I'm so sorry." He said sincerely, holding out his arms to hug the boy and apologise.

"Don't bother, Jules. Really... Just don't bother..." Aleena said. She stormed passed her husband, towards the confused and frightened children. The mother gently ushered the children back into their room and closed the door behind them, shutting the dad out once more.

"Fuck..." Jules breathed out, looking to the ceiling in his despair. His attempts to make himself a valued member of the family had predominantly made him even more of an outsider.

Any chances of reconciling were made near impossible now. He could only pray he hadn't messed up all his chances to win them back.

* * *

Blankly staring down at her working hands cleaning the dishes from the evening meal, Aleena was left questioning her relationship with her husband, and what to do going forward.

His behaviour lately was scaring her. It was so harrowingly familiar, something she believed was completely put behind them. First, the lies. And now, the harsh treatments on their boy who was still in the last stages of physical recovery.

All of this was just unnecessary hostility that she, nor the kids needed in their lives.

Deep down, she blamed herself. For she knew, someway or another, this was bound to happen one day. Jules had deeply rooted anger within him. The seed planted by his parents, mainly nourished by his father, until that anger bloomed on that frightful day.

She shuddered at the memory of the man's alcoholic breath breathing down her neck. His grubby fingers running up her sides. The slurred talk of his enticement which only managed to disgust her, and his eyes; his drunken, lustful eyes. The thought of her age was no longer a consideration to the man. He had intent to harm her; to prove he was more of a man than his teenaged boy.

After the man was ripped off of her, she remembered the argument between them. Jules protected her from the man as he sprouted hateful words at his son. Calling him weak, an embarrassment, hardly a man. Belittling words his son was already used to hearing.

It was the words against her that had unleashed Jules's wrath.

The violence from that boy was unlike anything she had ever seen. So ruthless and unhinged. Years of abuse and neglect were screamed out into active fists; silencing his abusive father.

While he survived, it was said the man never walked again.

They had put it all behind them. Fleeing Northamer with Chuck in tow. At least, she had believed they put it behind them. Now she was left uncertain.

Why had she gone along with him? That question now ringing through her conscience. Had she thought with logic, she would still be surrounded by her family, possibly living in the city she grew up in, working in the hospital that inspired her to become a nurse in the first place. Instead, she chose to follow her lover across the world and start a whole new life with him, knowing of his hidden rage.

Aleena sighed to herself. Of course she knew the reason why. It was reason she went along with all his decisions and comprised with him. She loved him. Too much for her own good.

Angered at her husband and angered at herself, the mother silently expelled her anguish. The occasional sniffles and gentle sobs were the only sounds to come from the troubled woman.

Her sobs were heard by her husband. In a pained silence, he stood up against the wall, next to the archway leading to the kitchen. He peered into the kitchen, seeing his beloved silently crying over the sink, head down in her misery.

Equally agonised from his guilt, Jules pressed his head against the wall and looked up, exasperated. It was now or never. Every second was another rip in their connection. He had to confront the issues head on. Take her pain, take her anger, and hopefully take her back in his arms.

Letting out a heavy sigh, Jules pulled himself off the wall and into the kitchen. He stopped near the end of the dining table, keeping a comfortable distance for her sake. "Alley..."

The quiet approach was instantly shifted to a hostile setting as a dish was propelled in his direction. He dodged it, only just. The plate hit the wall behind him, shattering into fragments.

"Wha-" He gasped.

Her chest heaved heavily as she stared back at him shaking rage. Her breath skimmed through her gritting teeth. Quivering and harsh.

"Aleena, please. I want to make this right." Jules pleaded, ignoring her previous assault.

"Do you? Really? Can you travel back in time and correct everything you've done to tear this family apart? Let's travel back right now, actually. Three months ago, I told I never wanted to hear about your stupid ideas again... Three months later, I find out you didn't listen to me and did what you wanted regardless of how I felt. And in doing so, you nearly killed our son!"

"I never meant for him to come to harm. It was an accident."

"An accident which could've been avoided if you respected me enough to listen to what I told you! I mean, do you seriously have any idea how close he was to dying?!"

Her husband remained silent, awaiting for her to provide the answer.

"By a thread. A very, very thin thread. His core temperature was so low, he needed life support to maintain his heart rate."

His eyes widened to the information. From what the nurse had told him, Sonic had been affected moderately by the hypothermia. To him, that meant he had been in a rough state, but had settled enough to recover. Life support? He really had been that close to death?

Too stunned to blink, Jules stuttered to find words. "I-I thought that... I-I didn't know."

"Well now you do. You should know that I blame you for his accident. For his fear of water. All of this was because of you and your selfishness." She watched him looked down at the floor, shamefaced. She refused to feel sorry for him, to show mercy. "All that time you were taking the kids to do god knows what with those bastards, and here I thought you were actually bonding with them. On little daddy day outs. Did you do anything fun with them in all that time? Something that didn't involve working with the military?"

Her question brought on more shame. Remembering back to the conversation between himself and his children on the way to the lake, he dwelled on the suggestion given by Manic. To have a day where they weren't working hard. A single day to just be kids playing with their father. He was reminded of his daughter complaining of her aches and pains... He remembered the promise of that one special day that never came.

His heart tightened, wringing him for his lack of nurturing.

"No..." He muttered. "Not once. Everything I told you was lie. I looked into your eyes everyday and lied to you about where I was taking them. I told them to lie to you, to keep secrets from you. I signed their lives away... I... I allowed them to be experimented on."

"E-experiments?" She gasped. "W-what kind of experiments?" She held such an intimidating gaze, Jules found himself being forced to avoid eye contact.

"Experiments with chaos energy..." He said quietly.

Her anger surrounded her in a dark aura, radiating around the kitchen, creating a unsettling atmosphere. "What... Is chaos energy?" She growled at him. She began to pace back and forth, holding back the urge to slap him. "For your sake, Jules. That better be a fucking energy drink!"

He forced himself to look back at her. He told himself she would be this way. It was a consequence to his actions and he knew he had to take whatever punishment she gave him. Holding firm eye contact, he shook his head.

"Oh my god..." Aleena breathed out, covering her mouth and walking away from him.

"We found a chaos emerald. All those stories we grew up with about magic jewels were real. Those with the power to wield the jewels' ability are our only hope of stopping Doctor Robotnik."

Shaking her head, Aleena removed her hands from her face and allowed the tears to fall. "Why? Why them? Why our babies?"

"Because without them, we stand no chance against him. The military doesn't have the technology or weaponry to take him on. His robot army is impenetrable. Two major countries have already been lost... It won't be long before we're next."

"And I told you my stance on that. I'd rather they lived their best lives until their final days than to see them become mindless robots themselves."

"But they won't-"

"They will... Inside. Deep down, they'll become desensitised, soulless weapons to the army... No different to you and your father."

His ears stood to attention at her bitter remark. He turned her way, staring intensely at her. In his brewing irritation, he forgot to blink. "What did you just say?"

"You heard me..." She held her ground, returning his sharp gaze.

His eyes plead for moisture as he held such an intimidating stare down. He was willing to take anything from her... But not that. "I'm nothing like him..." He growled beneath his breath.

"Really? Because I see the similarities... I can see him in you-"

"I am nothing like him!" Jules shouted back at the woman, storming over to her and confronting her. His nose touched hers as he appeared before her, standing dauntingly close.

His intimidation did nothing for his wife. Formidable in her stance, she held herself well, unfazed by his temper. "Go on... Show me how much of a 'man' you are. Prove to me you're a real 'man'."

The poisoning words of his adolescence delivered him back to sanity. She had used the words of his father to remind him of that man. That man he swore he would never become.

Looking down at himself, the realisation left him flabbergasted and horrified. He physically threatened his wife in his fury. "Aleena, I... I'm sorry." He apologised, allowing her some personal space.

"Yeah. I really want to believe that. Believe me, I do. But your impulsive behaviour is causing a major dysfunction to the family. I can't allow it to go on anymore."

"What does that mean for us then?"

She hesitated, the fear of him leaving was too much to bear. She was mad at him, undoubtedly so, but dammit, this man was her husband; her life. They were bound together. Not only by marriage, but an unchangeable love. One that left her inclined to forgive.

Shaking her head, Aleena looked away, fighting her heart for the right answer. Logic told her to let him go. That her fears of letting go were mainly due to familiarity. That twenty-one years of having him in her life was the reason she couldn't let go.

But her heart cried for him. Desperate for a declaration of his devotion to make everything okay again. Her anger was diminishing, making way for vulnerability.

"I don't know..." She said, heavily grieved. "I don't see how it can fixed. My trust has been tarnished, the fights are causing the children to feel unsafe in their own home... I don't know what to do." She covered her face, letting out her held back sobs.

Stepping in front of the purple woman, Jules cautiously ran his hands up her arms. "Do you still love me?"

Reluctant to remove her hands from her face, Aleena delayed her response. "What?" She asked, pretending she hadn't heard to give herself more time to think.

"Do you still love me?" He repeated himself, becoming fearful of her answer.

Finally taking her hands away from her face, she looked into his golden eyes, melting at their marvelous glow. "Yes..." She murmured softly, gazing adoringly into his eyes.

He took her hand in his, holding it close to his chest as he declared his eternal devotion. "I have witnessed your grace and your strength. I have witnessed you both patient and strained. I will strive to not take you for granted. I will strive to set a radiant smile on your face everyday and let you know how blessed I am to gaze upon it. You are my favourite person; my soulmate, my eternal. My heart is yours, and I pledge to you, forevermore, that my love will never fade."

The pronouncement of his vows stood trial for all his crimes against her. They held all that he felt for her and more. Love, security, and hope for a brighter future.

But she refused to allow repeated words to control her. Her love bided with him. Her trust would need to be rebuilt. "Jule-"

Determined to set things right again, Jules dropped to his knees before her, clinging anxiously to her waist. "I will do anything to earn back your trust. I know I did wrong and I know I can do much more... But I don't know what I'd do without you. You complete me, Alley. You always have."

Her hands moved over his broad shoulders, an exchange of comfort they both yearned. "How do I know you won't do something like this again? Or worse?"

Looking back at his wife, he bore into the depth of her emerald reflections and slowly got to work on mending her fragile heart. "Because losing everything has never made me so terrified in all my life. I never want to lose you. You and the kids. Please... Just let me prove that your heart can be safe with me."

Softened eyes conveyed the sincere emotion that was their intimacy. An imperfect purity. A love full of flaws and yet reigned with virtuous morality. Together, they crumbled under the weight of their obstacles, but eye to eye, they formed an imperishable bind to build again.

Love locked.

She dropped to her knees in soul-stirring surrender before her lover and wrapped her arms around his neck. She was enveloped in the nostalgic dependability that was her husband's embrace. Tender, yet needfully firm. It was cherished. As though it was their last minutes together. Appreciative and gladdening.

Their eyes found their way back to one another, removing the need to communicate through words. Yearning was translated. A want for release from the misery and agitation. A longing for reassurance. The request for physical rekindling was accepted on either end, confirmed at the light greeting of lips.

Movements stayed true to the humbled tranquility of their sentiment. From nimble disposal of coverings and delicate tracing over natural forms. It was a bittersweet serenity. An act of pleading and forgiving, of comfort and satisfaction.

Reconditioning went underway. Every touch bathed them in immunity. With every uttered breath, came the joining of their bonds. The promise of a better tomorrow was a uniformed declaration of euphoric sensation. A gratifying, amatory vow shared only between them.

With new hope, they believed they will not falter again.

Cuddled between the cramped space of the sofa and coffee table, the spirited couple relaxed in one another's arms, minds still in a haze from the reunion. The husband took his wife's hand in his, bringing her hand to his lips. A soft kiss was placed on the back of it, causing her to giggle.

"I love you." Jules smiled lazily.

Giggling bashfully, Aleena smiled back at him. "I love you too."

"I meant what I said you know. About making everything okay again. I will work to win back your trust."

"It's not just my trust you need to win back. The children need to feel completely safe around you too. Sonic in particular... He's been through a lot, still going through a lot in fact. The last thing he needs is to feel like his father is disappointed in him."

He nodded back at her, wholeheartedly agreeing. "You're right... I need to work on my impulses. I don't ever want him to feel unloved... Not like I did..."

"Tomorrow's another day. You can make it up to him then." She said. Her hand lightly brushed against his chest as she moved the topic onto the children's training. "So... This military stuff. What are the kids doing exactly?"

"Nothing too extreme." Jules said genuinely. "Major McGrath understands that they're just children, so the trainings mainly be kid orientated. Like, Sonic been doing relay runs and laser tag, Sonia and Amy have been hitting targets, Sonia's also been lifting-"

"Lifting? Lifting what?" Aleena became fretful.

Jules rubbed her back soothingly, smiling calmly at the panicking mother. "Nothing she can't handle. Seriously, that girl's strength is amazing. You'd be so proud of her if you could see her in action... Well, all of them really."

Reassured enough to calm herself, Aleena smiled back at the blue male. "And what about Manic? What's he been up to?"

"The kids a genius. Like, an actual genius. At first, I thought he was just advanced, you know? But I'm starting to think that's his power; super intelligence. He analysed one of the army's retrieval vehicles and figured out the issue in less than five minutes... Something that the lab rats have been working on for who knows how long. A bunch of science engineers outsmarted by a six year old."

"I always knew he would be our little brain box." Aleena said proudly.

"He really is. We really hit the genetic jackpot."

"... So Amy has powers too?" Aleena questioned.

Still rather uncertain, he shrugged. "She surpasses the strength and speeds of a soldier. At five years old. I think there's a chance she could be a hero herself... I dunno, super soldier?"

Nodding vaguely, Aleena turned her head to her husband, seeking sincere truth. "Do they enjoy it? The training and all... Is it something they've said they wanted to do?"

"Yes. They know about Robotnik and a little about what he's done. They know that their powers could stop him. They want to be heroes, no matter how hard the training gets."

Taking in everything her husband was telling her, Aleena concluded that maybe this was something the children could pursue. If it was something they wanted, and the training was appropriate to their ages, she could allow it. In a safe facility, away from deep waters.

"Perhaps it's something they could continue..." Aleena told her husband. Her positive response to the idea left him surprised, raising onto his elbows and turning his body towards her.

"You're serious?" He questioned, not believing the sudden change of heart.

"If they want to do it, I don't wish to stop them... But, they need to be in a safe environment, under strict supervision. We cannot allow another accident to happen again."

"I'll make sure of it. I promise." He told her, kissing her cheek. "Thank you, sweetness."

Giggling sweetly to his affection, his wife returned the favour and planted a soft kiss on his lips. They sighed contently, falling back into their loving embrace.

"Jule..." Aleena beckoned her husband's attention once more.

"Hmm?"

"I, uh... I wanted to talk to you about Sonic and Amy again... You know, about their close relationship."

Jules groaned, the particular issue never seemed to minimise, no matter their attempts. "What is it this time?"

"I caught them cuddling in bed again... It's probably not a big deal. I mean, just because you and Chuck didn't hug that often, doesn't mean it's something abnormal."

"Aleena, we discussed this. There's a difference between hugging your sibling, and cuddling them. They hold each other all the time, they nuzzle one another... It's just weird."

"Maybe it's just a phase? We could always speak to a professional about it?"

"Alley, seriously. It doesn't take a professional to know they're too close. They're brother and sister and they're not acting like it."

"Then what do you think we should do?"

"We'll clear out the spare room and separate them. It's about time the girls get their own room anyway."

Aleena nodded in agreement, sealing the deal with another kiss on his lips.

Against the parents' knowledge, the dilemma persevered. In the dark of night, the bonds endured. For in the arms of the blue hedgehog was the pink. Sound asleep, in cradled harmony.


	6. Breaking the Boundaries

Chapter Six: Breaking the Boundaries

"Sonia, hurry up. You're killing me!" Whined the most youthful family member.

Stood upon her younger sister's back, the fuchsia hedgehog reached into the contents of their parents' closet, raiding the storage for hidden presents for the upcoming holiday.

"Stop being so dramatic. I'm not _that_ heavy." Sonia shrugged off the pink girl's complaints and continued to rummage through the fitted wardrobe.

"Tell that to my back..." Amy muttered to herself. Defeated, she struggled on all fours to become her sister's accomplice to crime.

Not entirely aware of their surroundings, the girls failed to notice their brothers spying on them from the bedroom door. They pried with menacing smiles as they hatched their trickster plan to catch them red handed. Pressing themselves against the open door, Sonic turned to his brother and counted to three. On the third number, they jumped out from their hiding spot.

"Boo!" The boys shouted. Startled, Amy instinctively jolted, causing Sonia to fall off her sister's back and onto the floor. She landed with a thud.

"Seriously, guys? You're so immature." Sonia frowned at the laughing duo. She crossed her arms and pouted as they continued their ridiculing laughter.

Snickering at the formidable hedgehog, Sonic helped his youngest sister onto her feet. "Actually we're heroes, saving Amy from your heavy feet." He smirked back at Sonia, rubbing Amy's back to mock the fuchsia female.

Rolling her eyes after the lack of help given by her brothers, Sonia jumped to her feet, continuing to cross her arms with an irritated expression aimed at the boys. "Now you're here, are you gonna help us find the presents?"

"Every year... Why the rush?" Manic shrugged. "It's literally a month away."

"Because I have been asking over and over for tickets to Crash20, and I wanna know if Mum and Dad got 'em for me."

"Yeeeaaahhh..." Manic placed a finger on his chin, hypothesising her logic. "I hear all the rock concerts are letting eight year olds in..."

"Hey, just because you don't have dreams, doesn't mean you can crush mine!" Sonia opposed Manic's dampening of her dream.

Taken back by her assumption, Manic scoffed and crossed his arms back at her. "I have dreams... Mine are simply more level headed than yours."

"Alright, you two. That's enough." Sonic intervened, putting out the flames to their tempers. He kept them at arms length, away from one another, assuring both of them had calmed down before dropping his arms to his sides. "Did you find anything in there?" Sonic asked his sister.

Shrugging back at the blue boy, Sonia scrunched her features, puzzled. "Not really. Mum's really gone above and beyond to hide them this time."

"Sonia couldn't get to the back of the closet. They could be back there." Amy pointed out, earning a huff from the girl.

"Do not fear, Sonic The Hedgehog is here." Sonic said triumphantly, standing heroically with his hands placed on his hips.

Staring apathetically at her egotistical brother, Sonia shook her head and gestured to the closet. "Just get in there."

In a streak of blue, the hedgehog darted into the closet, rummaging through the top shelf, at the back. The sounds of clattering objects came from within, subsequently forcing Manic to rush to the bedroom door and close it.

"Sonic, not so loud! Do you wanna get caught?!" Manic shrieked.

"Have you found anything in there, Sonic?" Amy asked, becoming wary of getting caught.

A few more scattering sounds came from the closet before Sonic answered her. "Found a bunch of costumes. Think they're Mum's though. Who knew she liked playing dress up?"

Puzzled, the three hedgehogs looked to one another before looking back towards the closet, awaiting further information from the eldest.

"Nope... Don't see anything." He reported. His information was quickly updated. "Oh! There's a box here."

"A box?" Sonia thought aloud, somewhat disappointed. She pondered vocally. "Perhaps they're doing that thing where there's lots of boxes and the tickets are in the smallest box. Yeah, that has to be it... Is there a label on it?"

"No. It's white and pink. Maybe it's for Amy?"

Sonia gasped, deeply offended at the thought of her younger sister getting a bigger and better present than her. "It could be for me. I'm a mix between purple and pink."

Jumping down from the top shelf with the box in hand, Sonic looked to his sister unconvinced. "Eh, I'd say it's definitely for Amy. Nice try though." He grinned at the agitated girl before placing the box onto their parents' bed. "You should open it, Amy."

Fearing the consequences of opening potential presents, Amy stepped back and shook her head towards Sonic. "No, really. I can wait."

"You've got this far, you may as well go the whole way." He told her.

"But I only went along with this to get Sonia off my back... Literally."

Rolling her eyes, Sonia budged passed her siblings and stood over the box. "We haven't got all day. Let's just find out if this present really is for you." She said insistently. Placing her hand on the box, the girl lifted the lid and moved the pink tissue paper aside.

The four siblings leaned over and looked at the contents of the box. They were baffled by their findings. Two certificates covered the unexplained objects beneath. They were taken and evaluated by the green hedgehog while the three examined the family photo, teddy bear and the ring.

"Say... Isn't that... A little Amy in that picture?" Sonia questioned, pointing to the six-month old baby in the woman's arms.

Leaning towards the photo with squinted eyes, Sonic shortly backed away, looking to the pink girl beside him. "It does look like you. Maybe they're Mum and Dad's old friends?"

"Or they're your family..." Manic said hesitantly. He looked up from the certificates and expressed a sympathetic, saddened look towards the pink hedgehog.

Amy found herself too flummoxed to answer. She blinked back at him, gormless with shock. "What's that supposed to mean? You're my family. All of you are my family." She looked to Sonic and Sonia to rally to her defence and assure her. "Right, guys?"

Nausea resided in his stomach, churning with acrobatic finesse. Those feelings were awoken once again. Those warming, yet shameful feelings that only she could activate. That overpowering and guilt-soaked emotion that were sinful in the eyes of his father.

Love. He was beginning to see it just as so. Why else could he only see himself perform such affection his parents expressed, to Amy, rather than Sonia. Why he felt so close to her more than anyone else.

And the feelings... At this point, they said it all.

Yet as his parents had made _very_ clear time and time again, to feel such a way towards a relative was wrong, disgusting, abnormal.

... But she wasn't his relative, was she?

If what Manic was saying was a fact, then there wasn't technically anything wrong with being in love with Amy.

She was like a guest to their home... A permanent guest.

Holding his breath, Sonic avoided her gaze and looked to his brother for the answers to his urgent enquiry. "What makes you think she's not family?"

Manic held up the certificates in either hand. The original birth certificate on the left, and the adoption certificate on the right. "They're birth certificates, one being the original and the other being an updated version, given after... adoption."

"Wha..." Amy breathed out. Her skin was rinsed of colour at the sound of that particular word chiming through her mind. The world span around her, equalling to the the calamity that was her whole life. Everything she believed was unfolding before her, leaving her overwhelmed with questions and vulnerability.

Manic was cautious on voicing anymore truth. He could see the turmoil within her. The sudden life changing information hitting her directly in the heart. She was heartbroken. Broken to know her parents were not actually her parents, that he, along with Sonic and Sonia were not actually her siblings.

It was visual to see how outlandish she felt.

"Are you sure, Manic? Like, seriously sure?" Sonic asked his brother again, pulling the horrified girl to his side to comfort her. He repressed the desire for his brother to tell him what he wanted to hear and focused on ensuring Amy could handle whatever Manic had to say.

To his secretive delight and Amy's misery, Manic nodded back to his brother. "According to this, your real name isn't even Amy Rose. It's Rose Dalton."

Slumping down to her knees, Amy stared blankly at the floor, occasionally remembering to blink. "I'm adopted..." She muttered to herself, reciting the news to herself to help her mind process the shock.

In a matter of moments, she had shifted from being completely safe, surrounded by her siblings, to being isolated and put into the spotlight as the odd one out.

The jagged piece to the jigsaw.

Kneeling down to her side, Sonic and Sonia placed their hands on Amy's back, rubbing it tenderly. "Amy. Just because a piece of paper says you're adopted, doesn't mean you're not our sister." Sonia said with a sympathetic smile.

His sister's comments caused a streak of disappointment to wash over the blue hedgehog. His emotions for the girl had never been of a relative kind. To now know she wasn't his blood, he was ready to discard the title as her brother and be considered something a little more than a friendship.

Like his mother and father.

But with his siblings still holding onto their titles, he didn't dare stand out as the odd one with even more odd emotions.

"Yeah. You're still our sister, Amy." Manic agreed with Sonia, only adding to Sonic's dismay.

Grateful as she was to her siblings, their reassurance couldn't combat the weight of her pain. "Is my name still Amy? Or is it Rose?" She asked grievously, allowing the stray tears to drop onto her lap.

"You've always been Amy to us." Manic said. "This doesn't have to change anything."

"Manic's right, Amy. 'Amy' was obviously the name mum and dad picked for you, as their daughter." Sonia added.

Their reassurance was highly effective, allowing the girl to smile once again. A specific name, given by those who had chosen to take her in as one of their own and made her feel just as loved and cherished as their biological children.

"Thanks, you guys... Though I can't really shake the thought..." She said, taking the photo of her biological family off of the bed, she examined the three unrecognisable faces, running her delicate fingers over the glass. "What happened to them? Are they still alive? Did... Did they abandon me?"

An idea popped into the blue boy's mind. If he could find Amy's parents for her, she could go back to them, and then his emotions for her would be considered normal. A girl, with different parents to him, living in a completely different household, who he happened to have a crush on. He'd just simply let them know that the daughter they had lost was staying with his family and the rest would fall into place.

Fool proof.

"I'll find them for you." Sonic declared.

The three hedgehogs stared back at him, speechless. Manic, the most logical child amongst them, shook his head and scoffed in disbelief. "Hold up. Just rewind and listen to yourself for a sec. You're gonna find Amy's biological parents? In this entire world of people, _you_ are gonna find them?"

Oblivious to Manic's inclination, Sonic shrugged back at his brother. "Yeah... Your point is?"

"Uh, one, you're a kid whose not allowed outside passed sundown, you have little to no information on these people, and even if you managed to find them, which I highly doubt by the way, what then? They'll just take Amy and we never see her again? She's our sister-"

"Think about Amy for a second, dude. She's just found out she has a whole 'nother family out there. Wouldn't you wanna know about your family? Where you came from?"

Momentarily pondering, Manic admittedly agreed, nodding his head vaguely.

Satisfied with the green male's surrender to his logic, Sonic turned to Amy and gave her a thumbs up. "Don't you worry, Amy. I'll find your parents for ya."

"So what's your plan, Detective Sonic?" Sonia sneered at her eldest brother. "Do you even know where to start?"

Masking his cluelessness, Sonic grinned confidently while displaying his falsity by rubbing his nose. "'Course I do." He lied. Taking the adoption certificate from Manic, Sonic scanned over the document, his eyes stopping over the address to the archives in Central City. "Ah, ha! Central City Archives, one-eight-four, Forenger Close. That's my starting point."

"And you're just gonna go in there and ask for information on Amy's biological parents?" Manic crossed his arms, bewildered by his brother's ludicrous idea.

Winking back at the green hedgehog, Sonic showed the address to Sonia to allow her photographic memory to remember the destination. He began to place the photograph and certificates back into the box and then turned to the ring. The cushion cut ruby shined in the light as he held it up and examined the fine jewel. The richness of red embodied the strong spirit that resided within his crush; Strong-willed and beautifully passionate in everything she did. This ring was an essence of what she stood for, everything she was.

Perhaps her father saw the same strength in his wife. The family trait now living in their daughter.

"Hold on..." Sonic said, dashing out of the bedroom and into the girl's room. Rummaging through Sonia's jewelry box, he removed a trinket from its chain and placed the ring through it. Roughly tidying the jewelry box, Sonic ran back to his parents' room and held up the necklace in front of Amy.

"Do you like it, Amy?" Sonic asked, smiling sheepishly as he felt his cheeks burn.

The pink hedgehog's surprised expression soon transformed to a heartfelt, affectionate smile. "It looks beautiful. Thank you, Sonic."

Placing the necklace around her neck, Sonic brushed off his bashful demeanour by placing his hands behind his head and acting aloof. "It's no biggie." He said, turning away from the girl.

His body jolted slightly to the sudden feeling of small arms wrapping around his waist and a warm cheek nuzzling his chest. Looking down, he saw the pink hedgehog hugging him, lightly crying with mixed emotions. Disheartened by her sadness, his arms found their way to her back, locking her in a comforting hug.

"Aw, you guys..." Sonia choked. "Look what you've got me doing." She said, tears also falling down her cheeks. With arms open wide, she joined in on the hug, wrapping her arms around Sonic and Amy.

Standing awkwardly in the background, Manic held an uneasy smile as he distracted himself by looking around the room. His distance was quickly corrected by Sonia who had pulled him into the group hug.

"Kids! Get ready! We're going into the city!" Their mother called up the stairs, her voice highly optimistic.

Turning their heads towards the sound of their mother's voice, the children dispersed from the hug and scurried to put the memory box back into the closet. They ran back to their rooms before their parents could find them snooping in their room.

Meeting each other back on the landing, the children walked two-by-two down the stairs and waited patiently by the door.

"It's all going to plan." Sonic whispered to Manic. "We head into Central City with Mum and Dad and then I'll head to the Archives."

Manic shook his head, deciding that trying to persuade Sonic otherwise would be wasting his breath. While logical in his own way, Sonic was one of those people to live and learn. He would soon learn his own way.

Passing the children with a smile curling onto her lips, Aleena opened the door and merrily bounced towards the car, helping the children into their car seats.

"Geez, anyone would think you're the one who's having a baby." Jules chuckled, watching his wife joyfully buckle the children into their seats.

Looking back to her husband, Aleena giggled as she made her way to the passengers side. "Oh believe me, honey. If I turned out to be pregnant again, we'd be heading straight to the clinic."

Jules gasped, playing along with her dark humour. "Not my poor baby."

"Oh yes, Sir. This oven is officially closed." She said, sass in her tone. She hopped into her car seat and awaited for her husband to lock the front door of the house and get in the driver's seat.

Getting to the car and strapping himself in, Jules leaned over and kissed his wife's cheek. "You do make the best buns though, sweetness."

The purple woman looked back at her children, smiling fondly to them. " _We_ make the best buns."

A faint chuckle escaped him. "You know it, beautiful."

Questionably staring at their parents, the children looked to one another, trying to figure out what their parents were talking about.

"Are we the buns?" Sonia whispered to her siblings.

"I'd rather be a cake... with frosting. Chocolate frosting." Sonic said, licking his lips at the thought of cake.

"... What would I be? I'm not a bun, am I?" Amy said woefully, keeping her head down.

The triplets turned to one another, sympathising with the young girl. Leaning over his brother, Sonic smiled to her, providing her with the consolation she needed. "You're a strawberry shortcake. Sweet."

Approving of his choice of cake, Amy smiled back at the blue hedgehog, kicking her little legs merrily as her mood lifted.

"Am I not a strawberry shortcake then?" Sonia raised her eyebrow at her brother. "I'm sweet too."

"Nah, you're still a bun. You're just the stale one." He sniggered at the fuchsia female.

"Muuuum, Sonic called me stale!" Sonia whined to Aleena.

"Sonic, apologise to your sister." Aleena demanded.

Reluctant to give her the satisfaction, Sonic glared at Sonia and muttered his apology. "Sorry..."

"Thank you, Sonic. Soon, you're all gonna be role models for the new baby, so you must set a good example." Aleena said, looking back over her shoulder at the children.

"Are you having a baby, mum?" Sonia asked.

"No, dear." Aleena answered a little too quickly. "Aunt Vanilla and Uncle Roger are having a baby." She turned to her husband and explained what she knew about Vanilla's pregnancy. "Apparently she's already six months pregnant. She didn't tell anybody for precaution's sake."

"Boy or girl?" Jules enquired, keeping his eyes on the road.

"A girl." Aleena squealed. "They're thinking of calling her Cream."

"... Cream? As in the dairy product, 'cream'?"

"Yeah. Vanilla's been craving ice-cream throughout her pregnancy so Roger thought about calling the baby, Cream. I thought it was cute."

"Yeah, sure. Just don't be too surprised when their next baby is called Cheese, or Chocolate."

"Oh stop being so mean. Cream is a lovely name." The woman squealed once again in her excitement. "I can't wait to give her cuddles. I miss the baby stages so much."

Snickering to himself, Jules looked to his wife through peripheral vision. "You sure you don't wanna reopen the bakery?"

Her excitement quickly vanished as she turned and glared back at the man beside her. "It's _forever_ closed, Julie. **Forever**."

"Alright, alright." Jules laughed. "I got the message."

* * *

Arriving at the Central City shopping centre, Jules parked the car in the shopping centre's carpark. As the family made their way out of the car, the children lined up and listened to their father's instructions.

"Right, kids. You know the rules. No running off, stick together, if one of you gets lost, you find a store employee _or_ a mother with children."

"Yes, Dad." The trio responded. The youngest stood amongst the triplets, lost deep in thought.

"You okay, Amy?" Jules asked. "You don't seem like your usual, bubbly self."

Shaking herself out of her thoughts, Amy looked up to the man she had previously been confident enough to call her father. For a moment, her stare was absentminded, her mind jiggling for kinder memories with this man before her. She knew in her heart that he was her father, but to know her life had been a lie, that somewhere out there, was another man who shared her DNA, she was left to question her sense of belonging.

"Amy?" Jules asked, more concerned than before.

Lightly nudging her sister's arm, Sonia helped the girl fully awaken from her thoughts. "Oh, uh, yes. I'm fine."

"You sure?"

"Yes. Sorry, Dad..." She bowed her head.

Hardly convinced, Jules scooped the girl into his arms and carried her towards the shopping centre. "You look like you could use a good dad hug." He said, nuzzling his nose against the side of her cheek.

Giggling at the tickling affection, the thoughts of her biological family were momentarily swept away with the love from the man that raised her.

o- o - o - o - o - o - o

Walking through the shopping centre, Sonic scanned the area for an escape route. His eyes were distracted by the white and gold neon lights lighting the mall, matching the white walls and white, tiled flooring. The three story building occupied countless of shops, each decorated with their own dazzling attractions. Ones which would likely capture any shopper's attention.

Focusing back on the task at hand, Sonic looked to the escalators on each floor. A short distance between each one to get up and down each level. He then looked to the elevator. The glass box would likely take more time than he had to escape and no doubt visibly show his departure from the rest of the family.

After a quick analysis in his mind, he decided that he'd simply parkour his way down to the ground floor and dart towards the exit. A simple, clean getaway without the hassle of his siblings towing behind him.

His parents stopped outside the baby store, his mother in particular was admiring the adorable mannequins dressed in tiny clothes. Her memories of her babies being that small had left her overwhelmed with bittersweet tears.

"Oh, honey. Look how cute they are! It wasn't that long ago that our little hedgies were wearing clothes like these." Aleena gushed, peering into the shop window.

"Yeah... They've grown a lot since then." Jules smiled, comforting his wife by pulling her close to him and kissing her cheek.

Looking to the pink hedgehog in Jules's arm, Aleena smiled at the young girl and stroked her cheek. "My beloved flower..." The purple hedgehog sighed. "Mummy loves you."

"What about me?!" Sonia called out.

Turning back to her daughter, Aleena knelt down before the triplets and kissed each of them on the forehead. "And of course I love all my babies." She cooed at them.

Rising to her feet, Aleena walked along with her family into the baby store. They scanned the newborn section, looking at the various clothing, furniture and toys. Beaming at all the choices, Aleena dashed around the shop, finding the very best for Vanilla's baby.

Carrying the heavy basket, Jules looked down at the abundance of baby toys and clothes before looking back at his wife as she held up a neutral coloured outfit. "Alley, you seriously gonna get more stuff?"

"I haven't picked up _that_ much." She grinned at him.

"Mum?" Sonia tugged on her mother's coat.

"Yes, dear?"

"Where exactly do babies come from?"

"Uh..." She turned to her husband who pretended he hadn't heard the question. "Why don't you ask your father, sweetie?"

"Huh?!" Jules gasped, watching in horror as his wife walked away.

"Dad?" Sonia stood before her father, awaiting his answer.

"Uh, well, honey... You see, uh..." The flustered man scrambled for words.

"Don't worry, Dad. I've got this." Manic said, vaguely waving at his dad. "To make a baby, you first need an egg, and sperm. The female holds the eggs, while the male carries the sperm. There are methods to making a baby. Scientifically, you can extract the eggs from the female, and have the male donate his sperm via masturbation. The sperm is injected into the egg and inserted into the female and if the egg attaches to her uterus, she becomes pregnant-"

"Manic, what-" Jules stared in disbelief at his son.

"Dad, please, I'm not finished yet." Manic told the blue hedgehog. "There's also the more traditional way of making a baby; sex. Usually involves two people, but could be multiple if desired. But for a baby to be conceived, the man needs to ejaculate his sperm into the female's vagina and fertilise her egg-"

"Alright, alright. That's enough, Manic..." Jules ushered his son to silence. "Where did you learn this stuff?"

"From your office computer." Manic replied nonchalantly.

Lost for words, the father took his son by the hand and silently walked with him and his siblings back to his wife, mentally vowing to install child lock on his computer once they returned home.

o - o - o - o - o - o - o

Many more isles were explored by the tiresome hedgehogs while the mother went down the nostalgic lane of babies. Every little boot or dress she saw, she would gush and squeal to her husband and children. As a devoted mother, she was in her element, enjoying every second of her baby shopping.

"Honey. I really think you've got enough." Jules insisted, looking down briefly to the filled basket.

"Ugh, Jules. This baby will practically be our goddaughter. We can't have her thinking we don't care about her." Aleena said, shaking her head at her husband's stinginess.

"She won't even know anything when she's here, other than how to cry, scream, poo and eat."

Once again, Aleena shook her head. "You'd understand if you were a mother." She muttered to herself, feeling her words were not worth the disagreement.

"Hello there." A store worker appeared in front of the purple mother. A brown furred badger with a highly enthusiastic smile stood in front of Aleena, ready to offer her service. "Welcome to BabyRia, I hope you've been enjoying our array of baby necessities. Congratulations on your little bundle of joy." Her eyes monitored the mother's stomach area. "Wow, you look amazing for an expecting mother. You're hardly showing!"

Aleena laughed, looking down at her flat stomach. "I should hope I'm not showing. These aren't for us, we've had our brood. This is for our best friend's baby. They've been trying for ten years, so we wanted this to be special for them."

"Oh that is so sweet. I hope they're having a smooth pregnancy. That must have been such a shock when she saw the pregnancy test."

"Oh I know! It's so exciting to see those two lines on the test. Well, it was for me anyway."

To her husband's displeasure, he was stuck. He knew once his wife got started on talking, she was likely going to talk up a storm.

But to Sonic on the other hand, it was the perfect opportunity to escape. "Okay. I'm heading out." Sonic whispered to his siblings, turning on his heel towards the exit.

Sonia grabbed his shoulder, holding him back with her strong grip. "Hold it. Do you even remember where you need to go?" She asked.

Suddenly realising he had forgotten the address to the achieves, Sonic stared blankly back at her while he mentally figured out the solution to his issue.

"I remember. I'll come with you." She said, strutting in the direction of the exit.

Dashing in front of his sister, Sonic held his hands up to prevent her from going any further. "You can't come with me. You're too slow. Mum and Dad will _definitely_ notice your mouth is missing."

"Rude... But truth of the matter is, you need my help."

"She's right. And I'm coming too." Manic jumped into the conversation.

"Wha- Oh come on! You guys know I'm faster on my own." Sonic complained.

"I'm gonna come too. They're my parents you're looking for. I wanna know everything." Amy said, looking to her eldest brother.

He turned himself to the pink hedgehog, any arguement he had becoming miniscule. His solo mission was now a group mission, at the sight of her determined expression.

"Alright. Let's move before they notice we're gone." Sonic said.

Leading his siblings out of the store, the children blended into the crowd of people and made their way towards the exit. Sonia, Manic and Amy clinged to one another whilst their older brother lead the way. They soon found themselves outside the shopping centre, in the centre of Central City.

"Where now, Sonia?" Sonic questioned the mighty hedgehog.

"One-eight-four, Forenger Close."

"How are we supposed to find a particular street, in such a big city?" Amy questioned, looking around at all the sky scrapers.

"We'll just follow the signs to City Central Archives." Manic answered her, pointing to the various signs around them.

"Sounds good to me. Come on, let's go find your parents, Ames." Sonic said, grabbing her hand and running down the street.

Running throughout the city, the children kept the heads up as they read every sign to get to the archives. The vast city resulted in a thirty minute journey on foot. Despite the time it had taken to reach the archives, they had safely made it to their destination.

"There it is, Forenger Close!" Sonia cheered.

"Geez. It took ages to get here." Sonic groaned, stretching out his legs.

"Let's just get inside. Mum and Dad are probably looking for us as we speak." Manic reminded them.

Nodding back at the genius, the children walked down the street, and into the Central City Archives. Without a tactical plan, the eldest waltzed up to the front desk and asked the receptionist for confidential information.

"Excuse me, ma'am?" Sonic grabbed the woman's attention.

"Oh, why hello there, little fella. Are you lost?" She asked, looking to all the children.

"No. We're here to find this girl's real parents." He told her, grasping Amy's hand. "She was adopted by our parents and now she wants to find her real parents."

Bewildered. The woman momentarily stared in awe before proceeding. "Okay, dear. What's your name?" She smiled at Amy, attempting to reassure the child's uneasiness.

Nervous towards the whole situation, Amy lowered her head as she spoke. "A-Amy Rose."

"Thank you, dear. If you could all just take a seat in the waiting area, I'll be with you shortly." She said, smiling merrily to the children.

"Thank you." Sonic smiled back at her before following his siblings to the chairs in the waiting area. "Well, that was easy." Sonic said proudly, hopping onto a seat.

"And you really think that worked?" Manic raised his eyebrow, unconvinced of the woman's demeanour.

"Sure it did. All we have to do is wait for her to get back with the information. Amy will meet her real parents in no time."

Unbeknownst to the young hedgehogs, their mission would remain incomplete. From behind her desk, the receptionist picked up the phone and dialled the emergency number for the police to report the missing children.

It wasn't long after that the children caught sight of the police officers, as well as a distraught mother and angry father. They were busted.

* * *

"You deliberately disobeyed us!" Jules scolded the children.

Sat around the dining table, the children kept their heads down whilst they endured both of their parents' disciplinary speech. Stood across the table, Jules gave out the punishments to the children while Aleena crossed her arms and frowned at the delinquent quartet.

"Do you have any idea what could've happened to you out there?! You could've gotten ran over, o-or kidnapped and who knows what else!"

"But nothing happened to us!" Sonic spoke up, looking apologetically to his dad.

"Don't you back chat me, young man. What you did was unjustifiable!"

"We were trying to find Amy's parents!"

Jules and Aleena were stunned to silence, mortified to discover their children knew of Amy's origins. They turned their attention to the youngest child, seeing her lower her head even further.

"O-Oh, Amy..." Aleena gasped. "Oh sweetheart... We're so sorry. It wasn't supposed to come out like this."

"We found the box in the closet..." Sonic admitted. "The address to City Central Archives was on the birth certificate, so we went to find Amy's birth parents."

Guilted with the truth, Jules gestured his wife to sit at the table with the children whilst he retrieved the memory box from the bedroom. He shortly returned and placed the box in the middle of the table. Slowly opening the box for the young child to see.

"You remember the stories I would tell you about Mercia? How the evil Doctor Robotnik destroyed the land, and many lives?" Jules spoke sullenly to his daughter. Amy nodded back at him. "I never got round to finishing that story..." He breathed out a heavy sigh and stretched out his hand for Amy to hold.

Staring down at her father's much bigger hand, the girl eagerly grasped it, seeking comfort from him.

"On that night. I found a mighty hero. The bravest hero of them all. He lived in a beautiful cottage, with his wife and two kids... Unfortunately... The mighty hero lost his wife and his son to one of Doctor Robotnik's robots. But he still had his little girl. And to protect her, he risked his life to save the beautiful, beautiful baby laying in her crib... Her name was Rose Dalton."

A high pitched sob came from the pink hedgehog as she recognised the name. She covered her mouth, holding back any further outcries.

Squeezing her hand, Jules held back his tears to appear brave for his daughter's sake. "To honour that brave hero's sacrifice, I promised him that I would give you the best life I could, and that you'd grow up to be a happy little girl..." He rubbed her fingers gingerly with his thumb. "We may not be your biological parents, Amy, but we love you just like you were one of ours. You'll always be our daughter."

Overcome with emotion, Amy got down from her chair and rushed over to her parents. Her parents got up from their seats and knelt down before her, wrapping her in a tender hug. Aleena stretched out her arm towards the triplets, gesturing them to join the family hug.

Jumping off their seats, the children raced to their parents and younger sister, joining in the family hug. They remained in the embrace until the youngest child's tears ran dry, every second providing her with all the reassurance she needed.

* * *

Sitting on the first step of the stairs, Sonic sat with his head resting in his hand, encumbered with emotions of dissatisfaction. He had been so close, too close, to getting his happiness. If Amy could've been with her biological parents, he would no longer feel the shame of loving his sister. With the information of Amy's parents' demise, he was forever burdened with these emotions, knowing it was wrong to feel the way he did towards her, and worse, knowing he could do nothing about it.

He listened miserably to his parents educating Amy on her family and the country she was born in. It only made him more resentful.

Because in his eyes, the way he felt wasn't entirely wrong. Had Amy been adopted by anybody else, even their neighbours, his love for her would be seen as normal.

But because she just so happened to be adopted into their family and lived in their home, it was wrong.

Theoretically, it was nothing more than paper declaring her as his sister that stopped him from becoming anything more or less than siblings.

"And this is your brother, Sam. I remember you constantly calling your brother's name when you were only one year old." Aleena informed the girl.

"Really?" Amy questioned, astonished by the fact.

"Oh yeah. You took awhile to start talking, but it was one of the words you loved to say." Jules smiled at the passed memories. His smile soon faded as he looked down at the pink hedgehog with concern in his eyes. "I hope you don't see us in a new light after everything, Amy. There's obviously a lot of emotions right now, but like we said, we've always loved you like our own..."

Amy shook her head and smiled at her parents. "You're all the family I need. You always have been." She told them.

Smiling towards one another, the parents hugged their youngest child sitting between them, kissing her head on either side.

**BOOM!**

A faint tremor shook the home, alarming the family. Jules jumped onto his feet and rushed to the front door.

"What was that?!" Sonic gasped, dashing outside alongside his father.

From the outskirts of Central City, the father and son stared in horror at the black smog that covered the city. An unpredicted attack had hit the city.

"Robotnik..." Jules growled. He scooped up his son in his arms and carried him back inside, placing him down in front of his panicked family.

"Honey, what's happened?" Aleena frantically asked her husband.

"Robotnik's attacked the city. I gotta go. Now."

"Let us come with you, Dad. We'll take on that egg shaped man." Sonic said, balling his fists, determined.

"It's far too dangerous for you."

Sonia crossed her arms at her dad's comment. "We are heroes! We've trained for this!"

"Not enough to face him. Stick together, stay safe. I'll keep you updated when I can." Jules said, turning on his heel to leave.

"Jule." Aleena called to her husband.

He turned back to her, being instantly met with her tender kiss. A tenderly sweet goodbye for what they hoped wouldn't be their last.

"Be careful." She pleaded.

"Always. I love you."

"I love you too."

Watching his parents' affection, Sonic bit his lip and lost himself in his thoughts.

"Love you, kids." Jules said before stepping out of the door and closing it behind him.

"We're not gonna fall like Mercia did... Are we, Mum?" Amy looked up to her mum fearfully, her uncertainty returning to her. She had already lost one family, she was not ready to lose another.

Forcing a braved smile on her face, Aleena cuddled her children close. "No, dear. Daddy knows how to deal with that nasty man. Until we hear from him, we'll stick together and stay safe, okay?"

Nodding back at their mother, the children were given a final cuddle before the sound of the home phone rang from the living room. Puzzled, Aleena walked over to the phone and answered the call.

"Do you think Dad's gonna be okay?" Amy asked her siblings.

"Sure he will, Ames. He's a soldier. If anyone can take on Ro'butt'nik, it's him." Sonic reassured her, wrapping an arm around her shoulders.

"Wha- Oh... Don't worry, V. We'll be right there!" Aleena told her friend before hanging up the phone. Rushing to the front door, Aleena grabbed her coat, along with Sonia's and Amy's. "Come, children. We're going to see aunt Vanilla."

Confused by their mother's hasty behaviour, the children rushed to the car and strapped themselves in. In a rush, their mother drove to their aunt's house, remaining silent on the way.

The kids fed off of the purple hedgehogs emotions, becoming wary and nervous. Without a word, they held onto one another's hands, squeezing tightly in their desperation.

* * *

"I didn't know what else to do. He usually calls as soon as he's out of work to tell me he'll be home in forty minutes, a-and that he loves me and our little angel... He could just be stuck in the mayhem traffic, after that explosion, right?" Vanilla spoke rapidly with anxiety. She sat on her sofa, knees bouncing frantically as the worse case scenario filled her mind.

Sat beside her, Aleena gently rubbed the rabbit's back and hushed her sweetly. "Hey, don't stress too much, V. You know it's not good for the baby." Aleena said soothingly. "I'm sure with all the commotion, Roger's just got caught up in the chaos. Knowing him, he's probably helping everyone evacuate the area."

Vanilla nodded back at her best friend, taking every bit of encouragement as she could get. "Y-You're right. I'm sure he's just busy..." She winced as she felt a braxton hicks tighten her bump. "Ooh, ooh... Ow."

"Deep breaths now. You don't wanna stress the baby."

"I wanna watch the news." Vanilla said, reaching for the remote.

"V..."

"Please. I can't just sit here and assume the worse."

Reluctantly nodding back at her best friend, she watched as the rabbit switched on the TV. The women sat quietly as they listened to the live report from Central City.

"Devastation has been brought to our streets as the menacing Doctor Robotnik delivers a fearful message to the people of Central City. The capital of Eurish received a physical demonstration of the supervillain's powers; resulting in destruction, chaos, and tragic loss."

The camera displayed the fallen skyscrapers and screaming people, running in all directions. One scene in particular made the rabbit sit forward in her seat. A car, decimated by the debris, had it's number plate hanging from the front bumper. The number plate she knew too well.

"N-no..." She breathed out, grabbing the remote and rewinding the footage. She paused the screen and read the number plate once more. It was their car. Hers and Roger's.

He had been in the car right before the attack.

" **Noooooo!** " Vanilla screamed, breaking down in tears. Her heart clenched brutally, ceasing her breath as she cried soundlessly. Her sobs soon returned with force, uttering her heartache. "Aaaaarrrgh!" She cried out in anguish.

"I'm so sorry." Aleena whispered softly, pulling the pregnant woman into her arms and cradling her through the breakdown. She rocked her gently, stroking her hair as the woman screamed her pain into the world.

Sat on the stairs in a row, Sonia, Amy and Manic clinged to the spindles of the stairs, listening to the painful screams of their aunt. Their uncle was gone. In a matter of moments, from the malice of the evil mastermind.

"I'll kill that monster." Sonia said spitefully, gripping the spindles tightly.

"Another family member gone..." Amy muttered, allowing her tears to fall. They fell onto her purple shoes, splashing harshly with every drop.

"Psst."

Her ear twitched to the sound of the familiar voice. Looking up, she saw Sonic at the top of the stairs, beckoning her to join him. She quickly looked to Sonia and Manic. The pair far too remorseful to look away from the living room ahead of them.

Getting up from her position, Amy made her way upstairs and followed her brother into the bathroom. He closed the door behind her and faced her.

"Uncle Roger?" Sonic enquired, already knowing the answer. Amy shook her head at him, signalling the fact. Their uncle was dead. "Damn that Ro,'butt'nik... He'll pay for this..."

"Just when I fought I couldn't handle losing another family member... Another gets taken." Amy cried, covering her face as she sobbed.

Guilt suddenly washed over him. The reasons for her summons was not entirely in her favour. It was for release. To let go of the emotions holding him back and to share his deep, dark secret with the one person he believed would, or at least hoped she would, understand.

A confession.

"Then you might not like what I'm gonna tell ya..." Sonic said awkwardly, lacking the confidence to look her in the eyes. He peered down at the floor, only daring to bring his eyes high enough to see her shoes.

"W-what do you mean?" Amy questioned fearfully.

Letting out a nerved breath, Sonic mustered the courage to look back at her. "I'll always be there for you. You know that... But... I can't be there... The way I should be." He scolded himself in his mind for not translating his feelings the way he originally intended.

"I'm confused..." Amy admitted, tilting her head quizzically.

Blushing at her adorable mannerisms, the boy turned away from her and covered his eyes with his hand, fearing the results of his truth. "I can't be there for you... As a brother."

"Oh..." She said. Her little emotion left him just as quizzical as she had been.

He turned back to her, feeling as though he had completely screwed up. Perhaps confessing, at this time at least, wasn't the best thing to do. "W-what I meant was-"

"It's like Mum and Dad." She said, referring to their dynamic. She blushed as he stared back at her, shocked to hear the same thought process from her. "Guess it's always been that way, huh?"

"Yeah. I think so." He agreed, relaxing to the relief. "I'm sorry I can't be a brother to you."

She nodded back at him, understanding the sacrifice they were putting on the line. To give up their titles of siblings would mean to lose each other as family.

However, unlike the previous losses, this loss didn't cause them any grief.

Copying the actions of their parents, Sonic stood in front of the girl and held her hand. A gentle kiss was placed on her cheek, the less shameful destination to kiss her.

The affection he had witnessed from his parents earlier that day plagued his thoughts. The innocently pure kiss that spoke their devotion through action. He told himself to refrain from it. That it was wrong. That was what he was taught after all. It was just a fact. You can't do _that_. Not with your sister.

... But she was no longer his sister. She was simply his crush, living in the same house as he.

With the affectionate confirmation, they would no longer be tied down by labels and documents. He would become her boyfriend, and she, his girlfriend.

If only he dared to break the boundaries that they were both scared to tread.

He tilted his head ever so slightly, moving closer to the pink girl. Her own copying his actions, in opposite rotation. It was the simplest of greetings. A gentle kiss that had ended as quickly as it had started. Such a small token of love that symbolised a great deal to their relationship.

They would carry on the roles as siblings to the world and to their family, knowing in their minds what they really were.


	7. The Dark Often Surfaces in the Light

Chapter Seven: The Dark Often Surfaces in the Light

A gloom shrouded the following months. The great loss of the family friend, husband and father harrowed through every heart he had touched.

But with the words of his pure heart keeping his memory alive, their pain slowly turned to strength. With that strength, came his legacy.

Cream.

The beautiful baby girl, born the first bloom of spring, carried the feminine features of her mother, the rich brown eyes from her father, and the soft temperament both of her parents held. An easy baby in her mother's eyes.

To keep the dream she and her husband had shared, Vanilla continued to watch the children on behalf of Aleena and Jules. Their home was destined to be filled with happy children, it was only right that she carried the dream for both of them.

"Run along, children. I'll call you when dessert is ready." Vanilla cooed, allowing the children to run into the flower blooming garden.

Eager in his feet, Sonic dashed out of the door, leaving Manic and Amy running along behind him. Behaving as the ideal role model, Sonia gently wheeled the gurgling baby in her vintage style pram, out of the door.

"I'll be watching from the window. If Cream or any of you need me, just wave. Okay, dear?" The woman smiled down at the young girl in front of her.

"Will do, Aunt V." Sonia responded.

As the door closed behind her, Sonia pushed the baby towards her siblings. She stopped in front of them and quickly skipped around the pram to view the baby. Cream kicked her feet in excitement to see the familiar face gushing back at her.

"Oh, she is soooo adorable!" Sonia swooned. "Aren't you, little Creamy-Wheamy?" The baby responded with more gurgling.

"She must really like you, Sonia. She's all bubbly around you." Amy giggled at the baby's kicking legs.

"And who could blame her? I just have that impression on people." Sonia gloated, whipping her hair back in a smug demeanour.

"She's probably impressed by that big head of yours." Sonic teased her. He peered into the pram and waved his hand in front of the baby. "Am I right, Cream? Are you impressed by Sonia's gigantic head?"

As the baby laughed innocently, Sonic smirked at the hedgehog beside him.

Huffing at her brother, Sonia shoved him aside and carefully attempted to take the infant out of the pram. "I know you're just laughing at Sonic's ugly face rather than me, Creamy." She said, holding the baby in her arms just as she had seen her mother and aunt Vanilla hold her.

"Be careful with her, Sonia. You don't wanna drop her." Manic warned, already foreseeing a disastrous situation with his sister and their cousin.

"Manic. She's fine. I'm hardly gonna dro-"

Just before she could finish her sentence, Cream abruptly threw her head backwards, falling out of the girl's hands. Responding quickly to the accident, Sonic leapt onto the ground and caught the baby in his arms. He secured the baby and slowly rose to his feet, raising his eyebrow at his sister.

"You saw that! That wasn't me!"

"Still... Let's just keep her in the pram. At least she can't back flip out of there." He said, gently yet awkwardly placing the baby back in the pram.

Pouting in her disappointment, Sonia soon came up with a fun game to lift her mood. "Oh, I know. Let's play Mums and Dads!"

"Mums and Dads?" Manic raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah. I'll be Mum and one of you two can be Dad." Her lips resembled the shape of an arch when she saw her brother's look to each other, reluctant to be the dad. "Ugh, it's just pretend guys!"

"We know... But even pretending to be Dad with you as the Mum sounds terrible." Sonic grinned.

Objecting to his remark, Sonia chased the blue blur around the garden, waving her fist at him while he mockingly ran backwards, still holding his grin at his sister.

Sonia eventually gave up the chase, slumping her hands onto her knees and panting harshly. "You're definitely not being Dad now." Sonia glared at her oldest brother.

"We can take it in turns." Manic suggested. "Sonic and Amy can be Mum and Dad, and then we'll be Mum and Dad after."

"I like that idea better." Sonic nodded back at Manic.

"But this is _my_ idea!" Sonia protested.

Amy smiled empathetically and placed her hand on Sonia's shoulder. "It's okay, Sonia. You'll still get to be the Mum."

The girl looked to her younger sister, slowly coming round to the fact. "I guess that's true..." She muttered. She shortly burst out of her annoyance and enthusiastically declared the roles in the game. "Okay! Sonic and Amy will be Mum and Dad, and Manic, Cream and I will be the kids!"

Nodding back at the strong female, the hedgehogs pretended to act like their parents; Sonic and Amy bossed their siblings around and doted on the baby while Manic and Sonia ran around, pretending to get into mischief.

Amy cooed to the baby before her, giggling at her cheerful response to the attention she received.

"She sure is happy, isn't she?" Sonic commented, standing beside the pink hedgehog. "I always thought babies cried all the time."

"This one doesn't." Amy smiled down at Cream. "She's pretty calm."

"A lot like Uncle Roger then." Sonic smiled at the memory of his uncle. He reached into the pram and gently brushed his finger against the baby's cheek. "You must've gotten your chill from your Dad, huh?" To his surprise, the little rabbit grabbed his finger and attempted to place his finger in her mouth. "Whoa, I take that back! Chill out, Cream." He said, retracting his hand back.

"Maybe she's hungry?" Amy asked. She opened the baby bag hanging from the handles and pulled out a bottle of breast milk. "Do we lift her up, or...?"

"Nah. I saw her hold her own bottle before." Sonic said, taking the bottle from Amy. He placed the bottle in front of Cream. Excited, the baby grunted hastily, reaching out her little arms. She grasped the bottle eagerly a swung the bottle back into her mouth. In her rash movements, she choked on her meal.

"Ah!" Sonic panicked, taking the baby out of her pram and placing her on his shoulder. Patting her back frequently and with minimal force. A burp from the infant confirmed a clear airway. "Phew. Okay, maybe she should have something beneath her to hold her up."

Rummaging through the bag once more, Amy pulled out a blanket and folded it into the pram. Sonic shortly placed the baby back into her pram and gave her the bottle. She drank the milk contently, hazard free.

"Nice work, Sonic." Amy smiled at her cherished one.

Smiling back at her, Sonic became momentarily unaware of his surroundings and nuzzled his nose against her quills. At the sound of his mocking siblings, Sonic gasped and moved away from his companion.

"Sonic and Amy, sitting in a tree. K-I-S-S-I-N-G. First comes love, then comes marriage, then comes a baby in a baby carriage!" Manic and Sonia sang, teasing the current mum and dad.

"What?" Sonic defended himself, protecting himself as well as Amy. "We're playing Mum and Dad."

"We know." Manic snickered. "Still, please don't do that to me." He turned to Sonia.

Sonia giggled, shaking her head back at the green boy. "Oh believe me, I won't." Continuing her teasing, Sonia pulled out a spare, white blanket from the baby bag and placed it on Amy's head. "If you're gonna be Mum and Dad, you should get married too."

The fuchsia hedgehog pulled her siblings together, forcing them to stand side by side. She stood before them and proceeded to fast forward through the wedding ceremony, skipping all procedures, until the pronouncement. "I pronounce you, husband and wife! You may kiss the bride."

Not expecting the pair to actually do forth with the pretend wedding, Sonia laughed along with Manic, ending the ceremony.

Looking down at the pink girl beside him, Sonic became curious of his siblings' reaction to their relationship. It was common for them to mock one another in any way possible. Despite this, they had always been there for each other and supported each other. Would this be different? Was it too much to stand by?

He agreed it was a lot to process. It was still a difficult emotion for both he and Amy to express. The shame prevented prolonged embrace and heartfelt kisses. The fear kept them in the dark. But to have their siblings' rejection could damage their relationship even further.

On the other hand, having the pretence of playing Mums and Dads could save them from having their secret exposed, all the while, exposing the secret.

Hiding in plain sight.

Letting out a short breath, the blue hedgehog grabbed Amy's hand, making her turn to him. She displayed uncertainty on her face, the vulnerability to the exposure present in her jade eyes. His fingers squeezed around hers, reassuring her of his next action. He leaned in towards her ear and whispered words of encouragement.

"Don't worry. It's all pretend." He muttered.

The plan of pretence caused her to smile. To reveal their love to their siblings, while still holding the façade, would reveal how the world truly saw their secret. If it was to be shamed, the game of Mums and Dads was the perfect protection.

Standing on her tip toes, Amy awaited for the blue hedgehog to reveal their secret. Their hands gripped to each other painfully, pushing through their comfort zones and the anxiety. Emerald and jade eyes signalled the determination to see this through before they were closed off from one another. The last anxious expression was the entwining, warm, short breaths hitting each other's faces as their lips slowly touched, sealing the union.

"Eugh!" Manic and Sonia barfed. "That's disgusting!" They laughed, treating the situation light-heartedly.

Pulling away from Amy, Sonic chuckled through his deep blush. "You did tell me to kiss the bride..."

"I didn't think you'd actually do it!" Sonia laughed. "You two are so gross."

Laughing off the awkwardness. Sonic planted a brief kiss on Amy's cheek, causing his siblings to protest further. Enjoying their suffering, he continued the torture, masking their secret with the game.

"Love you, wife." He grinned, rubbing his nose against Amy's, feeling her burning cheeks radiating against his face.

"Love you too..." Amy replied quietly, less confident than Sonic appeared to be.

From afar, the woman stood over her sink, washing her baking equipment after making cookies for the children. Smiling to herself, she looked out of the window to check on the children and to her shock, witnessed the children kissing one another.

She quickly brushed it off, telling herself that the children were simply acting out some kind of game. But as she looked up again and witnessed the besotted look expressed between the pair, and affectionate touching they displayed, she paused. The question of the situation came to mind. The stares, the touches, the kisses... Was this a regular thing for them?

Were they simply copying their parents?

... Was there more to this?

Looking back out the window, she uncomfortably watched as Sonic and Amy continued to express public displays of affection. Ones too inappropriate for siblings.

Having enough of her thoughts, Vanilla shook her head and chose to end the playtime by calling the children in for dessert. Discarding her washing up gloves, the mother rushed to the back door and called to the children.

"Kids! Cookies are ready!" She called out, stepping out of the house to collect her daughter.

"Yay!" The children cheered, running back to the woman.

Pushing the pram back towards the house, Sonic and Amy walked side by side, bearing big smiles on their faces, along with scarlet blushes.

"Guess it's back to being secretive from here on out?" Amy asked.

"Yeah. Probably for the best. At least we know they're not ready to know."

"... When would they be?" She asked hopelessly. "We know how Mum and Dad feel about it, we just found out how Manic and Sonia feel about it... Is it smart to think they'd just get used to it over time?"

Contemplating her words, Sonic frowned, looking down at his shining, red shoes. Their family had made it very clear of their opinions regarding their love. The closest people in their lives had rejected the idea, it was no surprise to know the rest of the world would follow that mentality.

It just wasn't normal.

Raising his head again to see her disheartened gaze, Sonic forced a smile and gently squeezed her hand. "Hey... I know it might be a little weird to everyone else, but it's not like it's something we asked for. It just happened. If the world thinks what we have is too abnormal, we'll just have to keep it to ourselves."

She nodded back at him. "As long as we have each other, that's all that matters."

"Exactly."

Another exchange of affectionate smiles were shared between the children as they walked towards the rabbit's mother. Allowing the mother to take her daughter, Sonic and Amy joined their siblings in the kitchen for the homemade cookies, baked by Aunt Vanilla.

* * *

Stood on the doorstep of her best friend's home, Aleena patiently waited for the rabbit to answer the door and hand the children back to her. Fatigued, her mouth parted to expell a tremendous yawn. Even with nine months passing since the attack on Central City, she was still swamped with countless patients; backlogged and still accumulating. No amount of extra pay could lift her spirits for the next day of duty.

Her relief came at the end of every shift, collecting the kids from her best friend and having a quick natter over a quick cup of tea or coffee, then home time where she'd be in a loving home, surrounded by those she cherished the most.

She was grateful that moment had finally arrived.

Hearing the click of the latch, Aleena turned her sights from the neighbouring homes and smiled at the woman standing before her. "Hi, V. That time of day again."

"Already? Goodness, time certainly flies, doesn't it?" She smiled along with her best friend. "Children. Your Mother is here." She called to the children.

Peering pass Vanilla's shoulder, Aleena tried to look into the living room to see the baby. Her friend quickly caught her prying eyes. "Did you wanna hold the baby?" She smirked.

Smiling sheepishly back at her friend, Aleena nodded. "If she's not sleeping."

"You're in luck. She's wide awake." Vanilla said, allowing Aleena to walk through the door and into the living room.

Her children had been gathering their belongings when they saw their mum walk through the archway. "Mum!" They cheered, rushing to her legs. They hugged her tightly, causing her to lose her balance.

"Whoa, whoa, hey." Aleena giggled, gaining her balance. "Did you all have fun with Aunt Vanilla?" They nodded back at her. "Were you good?" Uncertain, they look to one another to decide their answer.

Fortunately for the quartet, Vanilla answered for them. "Oh, Alley. I don't know why you always ask them that. They're always good!" The women giggled with one another.

"With you, they are." She added. After expressing her affection to her children, the purple hedgehog moved over to the baby sat in her bouncer. Taking the baby out, she rocked the baby in her arms and cooed down at the babbling infant. "She's perfect."

"Just like her Daddy." Vanilla said, bittersweet. She looked down momentarily, holding back her tears.

Empathising for her best friend, Aleena attempted to express encouraging words. "You're doing an amazing job, V. Everybody has been blown away by how strong you've been."

"Thank you. I know Roger wouldn't have wanted me to be swept away by the grief. Especially with this little bundle of joy to keep me on my feet." Vanilla smiled down at her daughter in Aleena's arms.

The baby looked to her mother and stretched out her arms, murmuring for her attention.

"Looks like someone wants their Mummy." Aleena cooed, passing the baby to her mother. "Well, I think we'd better get out of your hair. Chuck's going to be taking the kids out for pizza tonight. They've all been pretty psyched for it."

Vanilla remained silent, hesitant to reveal what she had seen between her best friend's children during their stay. It wasn't something to be believed. A common occurrence to make it believable.

It wouldn't be as if she was lying. She had seen what had seen. It wasn't a joking matter to express either. Years of friendship determined her tale to be true. She would never lie about something so taboo.

"Uhm..." Vanilla said, biting her lip anxiously. "Actually, before you go, do you mind if we talk in the kitchen?"

"Oh, um, sure?" Aleena puzzlingly agreed, watching the woman walk into the kitchen. The purple woman notified her children to wait by the front door while she and Vanilla talked. With her children obeying her orders, she followed the rabbit into the kitchen and stood opposite her, leaning against the kitchen counter.

"So, what did you wanna talk about?" Aleena asked, sensing the tension in the air.

Wary in her approach, Vanilla rarely looked over to her friend, focusing mainly on Cream in her arms. Gathering the will to face Aleena and reveal what she had witnessed, she voiced her concern. "I don't even know how to say this to you, but, uh... Today, the children were out in the garden, playing together, all getting along... And then something rather unusual happened."

A sickening sensation twinged in her abdomen, already assuming what could have possibly happened. The most unusual occurrence in their family? Their borderline, incestuous children. The same predicament that had lingered for years between the two. Nearly five years of talking to the pair had ultimately become futile. No matter what was said, she and Jules always found themselves giving the same conversation to the young hedgehogs.

Just how far could they have gone with it this time?

Holding a sour, grim expression, Aleena waited to hear the bitterly well known truth.

"I don't know if it was a part of some game the kids were playing, but... I saw Sonic and Amy... Getting close."

The nauseating churn of her stomach threatened to unleash the bile contents. Her body agonised on the harrowing confirmation of her husband's suspicions; heart panging, stomach convulsing, sweaty palms beneath her pristine, white gloves.

But to protect her family, she appeared unfazed, calm. Defensive at most. "Close, how? Like hugs and hand holding? Cuddling? What?" She shrugged, her irritation controlled her voice, a sign of her vulnerability masked behind her denial.

The tone of voice somewhat startled Vanilla nonetheless. It wasn't like Aleena to express any form of hostility to any kind of news. Even still, the rabbit understood how distressing it could be to hear such audacious claims.

"They kissed. Multiple times." Vanilla blurted out, keeping her eye contact with Aleena to show her sincerity.

There was a high chance of spewing her lunch out onto the floor. It was worse than she feared. No longer was it just questionable hugs and sneaking into one another's beds to sleep. It was growing, getting worse.

"I know it's not something you expect to hear. I'm sure there's an explanation to this that only the kids could give-"

"You think there's something going on between my children?" Aleena asked abruptly, defensive in her demeanour.

Vanilla stared back at her, baffled by her behaviour. "N-no... I mean, it is a little peculiar, but I think it was all apart of a game they were playing..." She bit her lip when she thought of the loving gaze she had seen between the two. A gaze only smitten lover's would share.

"Go on... What else did you wanna say?" Aleena pushed her to give more information while crossing her arms.

Shaking her head at the hedgehog, Vanilla focused her attention back on her daughter. "Aleena. I understand this isn't something any parents wants to hear about their kids... But I can't stand her and deny what I saw. Just the way they looked at each other... It was like..." She sighed, questioning her own eyes.

"What?"

"... Like the way we looked at our husbands..." She finally answered after the aching anticipation. "Alley. I think there's something more going on between Sonic and Amy."

Scoffing scornfully at the accusation, Aleena threw all her anxiety and frustration into protecting the sickening secret within the family. "How dare you even think about something so perverted about my babies!"

"Aleena, I-"

"My kids are normal, okay? They're not some pair of incestuous freaks with an attachment problem, they're good kids. Good and completely normal kids."

Desiring to keep the discussion civil, Vanilla kept her words to herself. She merely allowed her best friend to vent her anger out. But not even she could deny the fear that danced in the hedgehog's eyes. As if she desperately yearned for the fact to be false.

Could it be she was already aware of her children's inappropriate behaviour?

"I can see why you'd want to slander my family." Vanilla heard her friend bitterly say.

Zoning back into reality, Vanilla allowed the words to resonate before saying anything. "I'm sorry?"

"Just because your family is in tatters, doesn't mean you have the right to try and ruin mine!"

Silence. A ruthless silence. The rabbit's astonishment, and the hedgehog's horror to her own words. The harsh words had torn through the fabric of their friendship and in seconds, finished it.

"V... I-I'm so sorry." Aleena said sincerely.

"I think it would be best if you leave now..." Vanilla said, quiet and poised. She escorted the shameful mother back to her waiting children and forced a smile in front of them. "Thank you for joining us, children. Cream and I enjoyed your company very much."

"Thank you, Aunt Vanilla." The children smiled back at her, oblivious to the guilt of their mother and the anguish of their aunt. As the rabbit opened the front door, the children walked out of the house, towards the car, waiting for their mother to unlock the door.

"Vanilla, please..." Aleena begged for forgiveness, placing her hand on the front door to hold back any potential slamming.

Her pain shortly returned to her face as she looked back to her old friend. The pain of letting go was something she never dreamed of experiencing again, especially with the woman she had always seen as her sister. But her words cut too deeply, irreversible by apology. The pain of loss couldn't overpower the pain Aleena had caused her.

"Goodbye, Aleena." Vanilla said, closing the door on the woman.

"Is everything okay, Mum?" Sonia asked, now sensing the tension between the women.

Inhaling deeply, Aleena nodded and clicked the button on her car keys to unlock the door. "Yeah... Come on, Uncle Chuck is taking you out to get pizza, remember?"

Scrambling into the car, all hedgehogs correctly seated themselves before driving. The mother slowly reversed off of Vanilla's driveway, momentarily staring at the woman and infant standing in the window, watching them leave. She watched her best friend sorrowfully close her curtains, shutting her out of her life.

"Mum?" Sonic leaned forward and questioned his mother's behaviour, instantly snapping her out of her woe.

"Sorry, dear. Let's go." She forced a smile as she looked back at her children in the rear view mirror.

Driving off the driveway, Aleena briefly looked back at the home of her friend before driving back to their home.

o - o - o - o - o - o - o -o

Upon arriving back to the house, the children ran to their merrily reclining uncle on the sofa, excited for the evening out with him.

"Uncle Chuck!" They cheered, jumping on the unexpecting man.

"Umph!" Chuck winced as they bounced on his abdomen. "Whoo-wee! What're your parents feeding you that's got you all so strong?"

"Mum says eating vegetables makes us big and strong." Amy said.

"Really? I'm sure she didn't tell you that they're also very boring to eat... Not like pizza! That never gets old. I hope you've picked out your toppings already." He said enthusiastically, placing the children on the ground and getting up from the sofa.

"Hi there, Chuck." Aleena greeted the man, exasperated.

Turning to see the purple hedgehog sluggishly head into the kitchen, the man raised an eyebrow at her. "You look terrible."

Glaring back at her brother in law, Aleena pulled out a glass from the cupboard and filled it with water from the fridge. "Gee, thanks for the compliment, Charles."

"Er... Not like that... I meant, you look like you could use a break. Both you and Jules actually."

"Where is he?" Aleena asked, placing her glass down on the counter.

Chuck pointed to the study, the room located adjacent to the stairs and the front door. "He's been stuck at that desk all day. I had to get him lunch, otherwise he wouldn't have eaten."

Aleena sighed, looking away from the man a few feet in front of her. Stress and grief consumed her husband since the attack. The loss of his best friend, his comrades, and the countless innocence left him feeling helpless and feeble, responding in his quickened temper.

With little time to grieve, he drowned himself in his work; meetings, restoration campaigns, supplies, and training. Both for him and the kids.

His grief had expanded in the following weeks. General Hayes, the formidable tiger had been struck by the debris that fateful night, resulting in his comatose condition. After receiving word from Major McGrath, his condition was to lead to no recovery.

And with the lose of the general, came the open vacancy, just for him. More work, more responsibility. Ultimately, more stress.

Walking through the door of the kitchen, to the hallway, the woman walked down the hall, towards the study and found her husband just where his brother had specified, deeply lost in his work.

"Julie." Aleena alerted her husband.

Exhaustion darkened his strong features. Shining gold eyes dulled by weariness. His self discipline, though vigilant, was killing him. Stress created age, forming a neglectful quill, white in colour, falling between his eyes.

"Sweetness." He answered her, not lifting his eyes from the computer screen.

Walking over to his desk, Aleena leaned against the edge and looked down at her beloved. "Working hard?"

"Hardly working... I've got the promotion..." He told her, lacking enthusiasm.

Breathing out a light breath, Aleena smiled at the news. "That's great! Isn't it?"

Jules shrugged, placing his forehead into his hand. "Hayes was in charge of the Mercia Alliance Project... To build alliances with the remaining fighters in Mercia and establish a base there... Now that's my job."

"Oh..." Aleena muttered in disappointment. "How long will you be gone?"

"Years." He sighed. "I'll get a least two breaks each year, but I'll be away from you and the kids for who knows how long?"

Lowering her head, a single tear fell from her eye. Training the children in Central City, under Project Heroes had left her accustomed to seeing her husband home every day. To see him leave her again, as well as the children, unlikely to return until they were in their teens, broke her heart.

"When are you leaving?" She turned her head in his direction.

Letting out another heavy sigh, Jules finally looked to his wife and held her hand. "McGrath wants me to leave next week."

Her devastation couldn't be held back. The announcement of the seven short days until his lengthy voyage across the continent had torn at her heart and released the loch of tears. She silently cried beside him, unleashing her grief.

"I'm sorry, sweetness." Jules whispered, raising from his chair and wrapping his arms around her.

"What will I do without you?" She questioned hopelessly. "I can't handle Sonic and Amy on own. A-and after what I said to Vanilla, we'll need to find a new babysitter-"

"Wait. What about Sonic 'nd Amy? What happened with Vanilla?" Jules furrowed his brows, holding his wife at arms length.

Her lips quivered out of anxiety. Knowing the particular topic was not going to sit well with the blue hedgehog. The words spiralled around her tongue, becoming reluctant to express.

Blinking repetitively, Aleena quietly revealed what had happened between their children. "When I picked up the kids, Vanilla told me that the kids were playing in the garden..."

"Yeah. And?" Her husband pushed her for the answer. His frustration was already showing on his scowling features. Worse case scenario had his blood pressure raising, bubbling through his veins.

Once more, she hesitated. She noticed the twitch in his brow from his deep furrow causing strain on his facial muscles. The particular issue never got easier. With every incident she reported, her husband became more agitated. And yet it seemed their father's anger couldn't stop the two kids and their behaviour.

Looking into the golden eyes of her husband, Aleena told him of the children's inappropriate afternoon. "They were probably playing some kinda game, but... T-they kissed."

"What...?" The flames ignited in the father's eyes. It was just as he regrettably imagined. Nonetheless, he chose to look passed the flames of his wrath and gather the evidence first. "What kinda kiss? Are we talking cheek? Forehead? Hand?"

His wife shook her head painfully slow, disturbed by the situation. "Lips..."

A flash of his flaming eyes signalled his rage before he darted passed his wife and into the hallway. He looked straight ahead, into the living room, seeing his brother leading the children towards the door.

"Jule, please. Not now." Aleena pleaded to her husband, holding him back with her hand on his shoulder.

"Alright, kids. Let's go get our pizza!" Chuck cheered, ignorant to his younger brother's agitation. The children cheered behind him, eagerly approaching the front door.

"Sonic, Amy, get over here, now!" Jules demanded with intense stern. The pair turned their head to him, alarmed and apprehensive. His wide eyes and thinned lips placed the fear into his children's hearts.

"Jules..." Aleena whispered, attempting to calm the man down.

"Is there a problem, Jules?" Chuck asked, raising his eyebrow at the angered hedgehog.

"Never you mind. I gotta talk with my kids." He responded.

"Right now? I mean, we're about to go out."

"Yes, right now."

"Honey..." Aleena interjected. "The kids have waited weeks for this treat."

Jules looked back over his shoulder at his wife, maintaining a deep scowl. "Treats are only given to kids who behaviour appropriately." He told her. Looking back to his brother, Jules gave him the go ahead to take Manic and Sonia to get pizza. "Take Manic and Sonia. These two are staying here."

The mouths of the children in question dropped open, sounding a breathless gasp. They looked to their uncle in an unspoken plea to negotiate, but the scolding expression from their father left them powerless. They lowered their heads, avoiding his piercing eyes.

"Jules... Come on, man. Whatever they've done, I'm sure it can't be _that_ bad."

"Chuck. How I choose to discipline my children is my decision, don't interfere." He growled.

Raising his eyebrow at his younger brother, Chuck peered into the eyes of the man before him. More and more, they held the same engulfed flame of their father. The rage, desired to be extinguished by the endless emptying bottles that only ignited the flames even further.

Raising his head, Chuck's eyes looked down at Sonic and Amy. The petrified flush on their faces made his heart pang to the possibility of a repeated history. An uncontrollable temper residing in his brother that was being mercilessly expressed on the innocent children.

Just as quick as the thought appeared, it was erased. He knew his brother. He knew of his kind heart, his sensitivity. No matter the fires embedded within, he had always lead with pure intentions. Jules was strict, disciplined. But violent, he was not.

"Okay..." He surrendered. Sorrowfully, he looked down at the duo and apologised. "Maybe next time, eh?"

Sonic and Amy forced meekly smiles towards their uncle. Though dispirited, their disappointment came second to the nauseating feeling of their secret being known to their parents. They had the conversation often enough to know better. If their parents knew they had gone against their wishes, for months, the punishment was to be more severe than missing a fun trip with their uncle.

"We'll see you guys later..." Manic said awkwardly, waving to the pair.

"We'll let you know how the pizza tasted." Sonia said obnoxiously, prancing passed her siblings.

Opening the front door, Chuck looked back at the young hedgehogs sympathetically and slowly closed the door, diverting his gaze to look down. Lost in thought with his hand still on the handle, he couldn't help the dreaded feeling in his gut.

Their eyes never left the door. To turn back to their father would mean to face the consequences of their actions. They were anxious. Anxious of their father's reaction and their mother's continued disappointment. Acknowledging the talks about appropriate sibling relationships now meant nothing to the children, their punishment was likely going to be revolutionary... Much to the displeasure of the two in question.

"Living room. Now." They heard their father's demand. Two pairs of heavy footsteps trailed into the living room from behind them.

Nervous, Sonic turned to Amy; timorously shaken. Parallelled looks of panic stared back at one another, both breathing heavily with apprehension. Shaking hands connected for a moment, transferring comfort. The minor affection ended briefly before they faced their fate.

Making their way to the sofa, they hopped onto the furniture and sat side by side. Their parents stood either side, hovering over them like pillars of authority. Their mother held a strained face, mentally exhausted by the reoccurring issue. Their father had a similar look on his features, but anger mainly dominated his face.

"No. Separate yourselves. One on either side, please." Jules instructed. The children quickly shuffled to either side of the sofa to please their dad.

Letting out a tiresome sigh, Jules placed his hands on his hips. "I don't know how many times you need to hear this. Time and time again, you prove to not understand that your behaviour is inappropriate and wrong. You're both siblings. Siblings do not kiss one another on the lips."

"It was just a game." Sonic used the cover up. "We were playing with Cream and chose to play Mums and Dads. We were pretending to be you and Mum."

The parents looked to each other. While it was still ill-suited, it was a plausible explanation.

If this was the first occasion.

"That doesn't explain the countless occurrences where we've had to have this conversation before. This problem has been going on for years! I don't get what you're not understanding. When we first sat you down, this issue should have been resolved. Only, it's gotten worse. In fact, I'd say you've both gotten better at hiding whatever's going on."

The pair looked to one another in their peripheral vision, their truth spilling onto their faces.

Kneeling down before his children, Jules held a sincere expression, trying to understand his children's thought process. "I need both of you to be honest with us. We won't be mad, we just wanna know what's going on." He smiled at them, reinstating a little security.

The younger blue hedgehog saw through the façade. Given how serious and impermissible the topic was, control of temper couldn't be guaranteed. Their love was greatly understood to be taboo, and even still, they did not wish to let it go.

And so he would continue to do what they had always done. Keep it a secret.

"We just wanted to be like you and Mum." Sonic muttered. His claim carried partial truth. They aspired for a relationship much like their parents; honest and overly affectionate towards each other.

Breathing a long breath through his nose, Jules smiled hopelessly at his son. He rose to his feet, asserting his authority once more. "We're honoured to know you admire the love your Mother and I have... But that doesn't make it okay for you two to act like your ..." He internally cringed to think of the possibility. "... Boyfriend and girlfriend..." He choked on the words in disgust.

Irritated by his father's reaction, Sonic looked to the window, hoping to calm his annoyance.

"Your mum and I aren't related, see? Therefore it's more, uh... Natural, to be together... that way."

"Amy and I aren't related either..." Sonic muttered beneath his breath.

The boy's quietly spoken thoughts did not fail to reach his father. Jules slowly turned his head towards him, allowing the boy a chance to correct himself. "What was that?"

Too enraged to let his father's double standards go, Sonic scoffed and turned his head towards his dad. "Amy is not my sister! She has completely different parents, a whole 'nother family. She was born in a different country to me, Manic and Sonia! How come you're allowed to be with Mum, and I can't be with Amy?!"

"Be wi-?!" Jules closed his eyes, simmering his riling anger. "Sonic... Amy is your sister. You cannot date your sister."

"But she's not my sister! So what if you adopted her?! That doesn't suddenly make her blood. I don't see her as a sister. I have never seen her as a sister! I-" He looked over to the frightened girl on the opposite side of the sofa, hopelessly falling smitten for her. "I love her. The same way you love Mum."

The elder male spun on his heel, pulling on his bottom lip and squeezing the skin harshly between his gloved fingers. His suspicions were now confirmed. All the years of the same issue was finally revealed. His children. _His_ children, were having an incestuous relationship.

He was determined to shut it down immediately.

Turning back to his kids, he ran his hand down his face, doing whatever possible to remain calm. "Sonic. Sometimes we think we feel a certain way, when in fact, we could actually feel something else entirely. You're still growing, and overtime those feelings will change." He paused as he saw his son look away from him, avoiding the lecture. "Until then, you two will stop this absurdity."

"Stop loving each other?" Sonic rephrased his dad's words.

"Do not test your father, Sonic." Aleena scolded the young boy.

A short, sharp breath left the aggregated man. "You don't love her." He growled through gritted teeth.

Determined, Sonic stood on the sofa and held his ground. "Yes I do!"

"You cannot love your sister!"

"She's not my sister!"

"SHE IS!" Jules bellowed, forcing his son's heart to leap through his ribcage. The boy dropped onto the soft furnishing beneath him, shaken by the unexpectedly loud outburst from the blue hedgehog before him. "We have tolerated enough of your depravity. Tonight, it's gonna stop! There will be no more talk of this relationship and love! She is your sister!" He yelled at the boy while pointing to the terrified girl on the edge of the sofa. "You will treat her as your sister!"

"But..." Sonic objected, lacking the confidence he had previously.

The soft spoken protest had subsequently drove the father to his breaking point. With fiercely unrelenting rage, his eyes glowed with the vicious flames that were his father's rage instilled in him.

"J-Jule?" Aleena noticed the rage on her husband's face. She stepped towards him, ready to hold him back from whatever instinct was about to occur.

Without a word or a sign, the man gripped his son's arm and yanked him off of the sofa. He marched with the boy towards his office.

"Jules!" Aleena gasped, rushing around the sofa and chasing after her husband. "What are you doing? Put him down!"

"D-Daddy?!" Amy leapt off the sofa and ran alongside her mother, rushing to her belove's aid.

"Dad!" Sonic panicked, struggling to break out of his father's tight grip. "Dad! Please!"

Their cries could no longer be heard. With stern eyes forgetful to blink, the man shoved the office door open and slammed it shut behind them, locking the door to prevent escape.

"Jule! Please don't hurt our boy! JULE!" Aleena cried, slamming her fist onto the door. The muffled, agonised screaming from her child could be heard beyond the wooden door, sparking the heart pounding fear. "JULE, PLEASE!" She screamed, pounding on the door.

The harrowing screams of her loved one triggered neural paths long disconnected in her mind. The violence, the cries, the terror. The motions she couldn't remember witnessing had caused her to freeze. She stared intensely at the door, unable to move or speak her agony.

A light click of the lock sounded, the door opening abruptly afterward. The glowering man rushed passed his wife and daughter, but not without showing the droplets of blood staining his gloves.

"Sonic!" Aleena rushed into the office to find her son struggling to get up. His arms quaked from the lack of strength they contained. "Baby." The mother gasped as she dropped to his side and gathered him in her arms. "Sonic, sweetheart. Where does it hurt?"

Turning the boy over, she inhaled deeply to the darkening forming around his right eye. The mounded tissue pulsated a searing pain. A black eye in the making. Her sights fell onto the stream of blood dribbling down his busted lip, incoming swelling to the inflicted area.

"Oh Sonic..." His mother wept, rocking him consolingly in her arms.

With his throbbing eye preventing his tears to fall, the blue hedgehog gripped to his mother, sniffling quietly onto her chest in his doleful plea for comfort.

* * *

Placing the bag of frozen peas lightly against her boy's eye, Aleena sat beside the young child, a sombre silence long established since the assault. He kept his head down, too ashamed of his previous confession to look his mother in the eye again. The secret was out. He had revealed himself to be the dishonourable, incestuous freak his father had suspected of him, and he paid for it.

He grimaced to the image of his father's hair-raising infuriation. A part of him had always been afraid of his dad. Through a more authoritative type of fear. To know the man he looked up to as his father, his hero, had ignored his pleas, his tearful cries and viciously attacked him, it infused a god-fearing complexity within him.

This man he called his dad was capable of murdering him if the mood should take him.

He was left to question the future. The status of the relationship he now had with his dad. Was there more to this attack? Did he no longer love him after revealing the truth about his feelings towards Amy? Was the attack simply a new, unorthodox punishment? Or was it symbolic to the end of their bond?

His left eye peered over to the woman beside him. She had said just as little as he had. Why? There was no inkling to her emotions right now. Was she to go berserk on the man for his unjustified actions? Did she believe he was ultimately correct to be angry for having a freak for a son?

Just what was to happen now?

"The medicine should kick in in about twenty minutes. I'll get you something to eat until then." His mother spoke softly, moving the bag of frozen peas ever so slightly. The light movement caused him to wince. "Sorry, sweetie."

"Does Dad hate me?" He asked miserably.

Taken back by the question, the mother's eyes shortly gathered tears, pained by her son's heartache. "No, honey. He allowed his emotions to get the better of him. He still loves you very much."

"Even if I'm a freak?"

His words were constant daggers to the heart. Ached by his turmoil, Aleena pulled him back into her arms. "You're not a freak, Sonic. We'd never think that about you, or Amy..." She placed a kiss on her son's forehead before regrettably adding to his emotional sorrow. "But it's probably for the best that you don't continue this... relationship you have with Amy. I know you don't see her that way, but she is, technically, your sister."

Not wanting to relive the traumatic experience, Sonic nodded back at his mother, looking down devastatingly.

Placing another kiss on Sonic's forehead, Aleena got off the boy's bed and walked towards the door. She opened the bedroom door and turned back to the blue hedgehog, smiling sympathetically. "I'll be back soon with your dinner, okay?" He nodded back at her, not saying a word. "I love you, honey."

"Love you, mum..." He responded, refusing to look her way.

Grieved by her son's depression, Aleena slowly closed the door behind her and rested against the wooden barrier, looking up to the ceiling in her despair. A single tear fell down her cheek. Her buried gut feelings hadn't failed her. Jules was a product of his violent childhood. Failing to acknowledge those instincts all those years ago out of love for the man had caused the cycle to continue onto her eldest child.

She had failed to protect her baby, despite seeing the signed.

Wiping away her tears, the mother composed herself and made her way downstairs to prepare meals for her children.

The sounds of rummaging in the kitchen stopped her in the mid section of the stairs. Her husband had returned from wherever he had fled to and now he was avoiding the consequences to his actions.

Her hand gripped onto the bannister as the rage warmed her blood. The man who had attack her baby was not going to get away with his action without his own consequences.

In a haste, she flew down the stairs and into the kitchen. She witnessed her husband downing a bottle of aged whiskey from the back of the cupboard. She paused, flabbergasted to see him drinking alcohol. A rare sighting. An eerie sighting.

"We always said our children were unique." He rambled, facing away from his wife. "Because normal parents don't deal with this shit. Nah, they get the typical crap. You know, bullies, rebellious kids... What do we get? Two kids who can't wait to get it on behind our backs." He laughed passively. "What fucking luck."

"You attacked our son..." Aleena said, unable to comprehend what had happened. "Y-you attacked our nine year old boy!"

"He's been in a relationship with our youngest child! Did that just slip your mind?!"

"And that's your answer? To beat him into submission? Beat the emotion out of him?!"

"It worked for me." He shrugged, taking another swig of whiskey.

"Yeah... It worked alright. Those beatings you got as a child have really helped you, haven't they? Except the _only_ thing that's managed to do is to successfully carry on the cycle of abuse!" She spat at him, disgusted by his actions. "Here you are, standing here with a bottle in hand, justifying your actions. How can you say you're any different from your dad?"

His hostility quickly returned as he stormed towards his wife and pinned her against the wall, towering over her while using his forearm over her collar bone to pin her. "I spent years following your stupid fucking methods, talking to the kids constantly and getting nowhere. Now, we'll do things my way. Sonic is coming with me to Mercia to advance his training and become the leader of the Freedom Fighters. He'll have _no_ contact with Amy and is not allowed back here until his mission is done. Are we clear?"

Bewildered and nerved by her husband's hostility, Aleena looked into his wrathful eyes, becoming increasingly less assertive to every passing second. "I can't see him in that time?"

"You can call him, send him letters. He needs to get away from all this... Away from her."

"He's my baby and his place is at home with his mother-"

Angered by her defiance, Jules pressed his wife harshly against the wall, hitting her head in the process. "If you hadn't been so soft on him, he wouldn't be the bad-mouthing, messed up little shit he's become! He is a boy. A boy who needs discipline. Who knows his place and sticks to it. He's coming with me, and that's final." He snarled, shoving her back into the wall and walking off with the bottle in hand.

Upon the sound of the slamming door, Aleena unleashed her sobs, dropping to her knees before curling up against the wall. Her cries were filled with her anguish and her frustration from her self loathing. For the second time that night, she had failed to protect her child. From the newly established anxiety ingrained into her heart, she feared it wouldn't be the last time she would let him down

Reacting to the slam of the front door, Amy raced across the hallway to the boys' bedroom. She pounded on the door, eager to see her sweetheart after the brutal assault from their father. Her anxiety prolonged her knocking, unrelenting until she saw him again.

Her knocking was soon answered by the injured boy. He stood before her, emotionless with bruised features.

The sight caused her to gasp and the tears to proceed. Their father had done this. Caused this irreversible pain, unrecoverable damage.

"Sonic..." She whispered, stunned and mortified. "Oh my- I-I'll get you some ice." She said, hoping to gain more composure after she had more time to overcome the shock.

"I don't need ice..." He said coldly, turning his body away from her.

His body language confused her. His demeanour gave off a distant, standoffish sensation. Was he mad at her for not stepping in and saving him?

"I should have done something... Stepped in, or said something... I'm sorry." She apologised, reaching for her belove's hand. To her surprise, he rejected her, pulling his hand away and defiantly holding it in front of her to prevent her from getting closer to him. "Sonic?"

"The only thing I need from you is to leave me alone! This was all just a stupid game that got way out of control!" He barked at her. The heartbreak displayed on her face reflected the ache he felt within.

"... What?" She cried.

"You heard me. All of this, me and you. It was nothing but a game to me. Did you really think I could actually love you? You're nothing to me! Just some girl whose parents didn't wanna stick around for."

The mention of her parents had struck the final blow to the heart, severing the vital organ in half. She inhaled sharply, clenching the fabric over her heart.

"You told me I meant everything to you..." She sobbed.

Holding back his own tears, the blue hedgehog continued his lies in order to let her go. To protect her from their father, he would keep his love for her to himself.

"I lied..." He responded harshly, pushing her away from him. "Just stay away from me." He said before slamming the door on her.

Staring at the closed door before her, the young girl watched the distance between them expand further than the minor density of the bedroom door.

She sobbed quietly to herself, covering her face to muffle her heartache. All the while, the same emotions were expressed beyond the bedroom door to her beloved. Through the pain of his black eye, the tears expelled, along with the anguish cries stifled by his pillow.

* * *

The invisible ball and chain strapped to his ankles dragged him through the airport. Unwilling was his mind, yet fearfully willing was his body. A compromise was made; he followed his family, treading sluggishly behind.

From the back, he was able to watch his sweetheart ahead of him. She held onto their mother's hand, refraining from looking back at him. It was safe to say he had released her from their relationship. Ever since that heart-rending speech he had concocted, she barely looked his way. Not that he blamed her. His words were fatal. After what was said and what was to happen to him now, he was certain he had lost the love of his life.

He looked down at his slow motioned feet, the slowest he had ever walked. A symptom to his sadness. He was to be shipped off to a decimated country to spend years of his life away from his family. Worse of all, he would banned from contacting his beloved in all that time.

All because he had accidentally fallen in love.

Walking through the doors, Sonic looked up to the military jet that was his one way ticket to becoming the outcast. The highly impressive, sleek aircraft was more of a death sentence in his eyes.

"General." McGrath addressed the blue, adult hedgehog as he approached the family.

"Major, Sir." Jules saluted.

"I apologise for not allowing more time for goodbyes. This project is a top priority."

"No problem, Sir. I think we've said our dues." Jules said, looking to Aleena who had faked a smile.

"Excellent." The crocodile enthused. He briefly looked down at his watch before leaning towards the hedgehog. "Five minutes won't kill anyone."

"Thank you, Sir." Jules nodded.

Nodding back at the major, Jules turned to his wife and gingerly took her hand in his. "I'll have Sonic call you as soon as he's settled in his new room."

"Thank you." His wife mumbled, refusing to look into his eyes.

He dithered with the love words. The words she would gleefully appreciate now meant very little, to nothing. The words were still true despite his actions. She remained his cherished one. His sweetness.

"I love you." He said.

Reluctant to answer him, Aleena looked to her brother in law. He stared intensely back at them. After seeing the condition of his nephew, he had a hunch to the culprit. Despite Jules and Aleena denying the possibility, and Sonic insisting he ran into a door, he had already determined his gut instinct was right the whole time. His brother abused his nephew. Why? The mystery remained.

Seeing him staring back at them, Aleena brushed off her own emotions and pulled her husband into a kiss. A dutiful kiss, extracting the remains of her love in her recovering heart. Her husband returned her affection, tempted to convey his smouldering passion for her, but he knew the damage was far to great to be healed by his loving gestures.

Standing near to his parents, Sonic looked up to their affectionate moment. He looked away with a frown, created by the injustice. He was to be shipped off for his love, while they paraded their love in front of him.

It made him feel sick. He was born to a pair of hypocrites.

Breaking the kiss, Aleena lowered her head, unable to look Jules in the eye. "Love you." She said softly.

Interrupting the couples' moment, Chuck played an optimistic smile towards his brother. "Looks like you'll have your hands full while you're away. Give that Robotnik a punch in the jaw from me, eh?"

"You know it, Chuck." Jules smiled back at his brother, hugging the man with a hearty pat on the back. They pulled away from each other, allowing Chuck to see to his nephew.

"Good luck out there, boy. A little man in the big world. I know you'll make us all proud." He said, pulling the young boy in for a big hug. "And, uh, watch out for those pesky doors now, won't ya?" He pulled away from the child and smiled sympathetically, exhibiting his knowledge of the assault.

As previously instructed by his father, Sonic nodded to his uncle, keeping the truth to himself.

His siblings stepped forward towards after saying their farewells to their father. The tears had long since stained their cheeks, eyes strained and red. They jumped onto their brother, squeezing him tightly.

"I never thought I'd say it, but I'm gonna miss you, blue." Sonia sniffled.

"It's gonna be a little odd without you around, but I'm sure we'll manage." Manic shrugged, putting on a brave face. The courage soon left him as he took his brother's hand in his. "Keep in contact with us when you're not saving the day."

"Absolutely." Sonic nodded back at the green hedgehog.

The trio joined for another hug, holding each other dearly. A few more tears were shed between them, fearing the times they would miss with each other.

Sonic still remained unsatisfied to the number of goodbyes he had received. The most important remained. Gazing over at the pink hedgehog, he caught her staring back at him. She turned away, bashful and embarrassed. She looked back again momentarily, adding to her embarrassment to find he hadn't looked away.

Courage won over the pain of regret. With her parents watching her every move, she approached the blue boy. "I dunno when I'll see you again so... Goodbye, Sonic."

"Wow, Amy. Sonic's leaving for who knows how long and you can only say that?" Sonia scoffed. Pushing the girl into her brother, Sonia dusted off her hands and stood proudly. "There a better goodbye."

The unintentional hug caught the attention of their parents. Jules was held back by Aleena to avoid a scene in front of his brother.

He was captivated by her warmth providing the remedy to his fragile heart. How her arms found their way onto his back quills to regain her footing, how her cheek brushed against his as she fell against his shoulder. He cherished the gesture, not knowing when he would be able to hold her again.

"I love you..." She whispered, her voice squeaking from her emotional state.

Hearing the words once again had released his restrained emotions. He sniffled, wrapping his arms around her lovingly.

"Sonic." Jules appeared behind the boy. "It's time to go.

Amy looked up at her father and immediately moved away. Sonic turned back towards the man, becoming abruptly overwhelmed to the thought of never seeing her again.

"Now?" He asked, his eyes portraying his panic.

"Yes. To the jet, please."

Expelling a shaken breath, Sonic turned to his mother, pleading her for reconsideration. "Mum, please don't let me go. I'll be good, I promise. Just please don't send me away."

"Sonic." Jules called to him, firm toned.

"Mum..." He cried desperately, clinging to her coat.

His mother looked to her husband, her strength leaving her at the fearsome gaze he gave her. The gaze he had held the night he assault Sonic and herself. Her heart jittered at his intense stare, forcing her to comply.

Lowering herself to her son's level, the mother kissed his forehead and cupped his face. "You will thrive out there, Sonic. Just be a good boy and listen to your father."

"I wanna stay with you." He cried.

"I know..." Aleena blinked the tears out her eyes. "But this is for the best. You'll understand one day."

Realising his mother wasn't going to stand by his side in this situation, Sonic unwillingly nodded, sniffling quietly against her.

"I love you." She said. "Don't forget that."

"Come on, Sonic." Jules commanded, holding out his hand to the young hedgehog.

Following his fate, Sonic took his father's hand and allowed him to escort him onto the jet. He stared back at his family, at his beloved, fearing life without them.

He took a seat a few seats back from his father, his gaze sticking to his family. The final waves were given before takeoff. Once the jet had taken flight, their bodies quickly faded from sight.

He was alone.

Softly sobbing to himself, Sonic slumped back in his seat, squeezing his eyes shut to allow the tears to fall.

"Hey!" His father's voice boomed into his ears, causing the boy to jump. He looked forward to see his dad staring back at him, scowling. "Stop crying. You're not a toddler."

"Yes, Sir." Sonic nodded back at him, wiping away the tears.

Turning back around in his seat, Jules sighed heavily, wiping his white quill away from his face. Powerless to the craving, he pulled out a flask from his officer's coat and alleviated his stress. By the end of the day, he hoped to lose the memory of his actions for another night.


	8. Distance Made My Heart Grow Fonder

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Jules: 44
> 
> Aleena: 44
> 
> Sonic (Manic and Sonia): 16
> 
> Amy: 15
> 
> Knuckles: 17
> 
> Tails: 9
> 
> Rouge: 18
> 
> Sally: 16
> 
> Rob: 32
> 
> Shadow: N/A

Chapter Eight: Distance Made My Heart Grow Fonder

"Woohoo!" The exuberant teenager called into the endless sky. His cheers echoed across the open plain, it's mighty boom of his low voice shortly being overtaken by the engine of a battle plane.

**THUMP!**

"Nice catch, Buddy." Sonic praised his comrade. Landing on all fours, on the wing of his ally's plane, Sonic slowly rose onto his feet. The wind violently billowed through his lengthy quills. Though harshly it passed him, the element was polite in it's overtake. A powerful blow on impact and then weaving it's way through his flowing spines. An exhilarating feeling he had grown to love.

Briefly looking to the blue hedgehog, the fox smiled bashfully. "It's nothing." He said, humbled by the recognition. The young boy soon turned back to the task in front of them. "Enemy spotted straight ahead, counting twenty. Identified as Egg Fighters."

"Puh, that's it? I thought this was supposed to be a mission?"

"Don't get cocky, Sonic." His father's voice sounded through the monitor.

The general, along with Colonel McGrath and the backup fighters; Shadow, Sally and Rouge, were laying low within a combat vehicle; The Stormer. A high-speed, bulk vehicle accompanied with missile artillery. A treasured creation by Manic and Tails.

Jules watched the battle from the passenger seat, his nerves rattled by his son's carefree nature. "Knowing Robotnik, there's always a trick up his sleeve. Stay cautious."

"No worries, General. We've got this." Sonic voice travelled through the speakers. His track record for his insouciant attitude to the grave danger every battle held left the father on the edge of his seat everytime.

Jules turned back to look at Shadow. The silent agent, scientifically conceived to be the ultimate weapon, reclined in his seat. Arms crossed, passive emotion. "On my order, be ready to assist."

The dark hedgehog nodded back at the general. He stared straight ahead, waiting for his signal.

"What about us?" Rouge asked. "We're not expected to wait on the sidelines, surely?"

"You're the Abet Squad. Hold fire until further orders." Jules told the young woman, looking back at her over his shoulder. Displeased with the general's instructions, Rouge huffed and crossed both her arms and legs.

Sally smiled hopelessly to the bat before offering her some consolation. "You'll have your moment, Rouge. I'm sure of it." She looked out of the window to see the blue blur creating several explosions across the field. "Robotnik would never utilise such a straightforward plan of attack..."

"Maybe you ought to teach Sonic some common sense, Sally. It sure seems like he could use it." Jules commented monotonously, his patience for his son's heedlessness lessening.

McGrath chuckled lightly. "Leave the boy be, Jules. He's a free spirit and it works for him. Just watch him making his way through those Egg Fighters!"

Another boom shook the Stormer, a ball of blue surfacing from the mushroom cloud of smoke. "Yeah!" The boy cheered.

His point proven, McGrath smirked at the man beside him, chuckling ever so lightly to see him roll his eyes and smile in defeat.

The enemy had very little to encourage a smile. The mighty gut of a man sat on the edge of his seat, brewing in his rage with teeth harshly gritting. "You meddling rat! Must you ruin my plan of attack _every time?_!"

Skidding across the grass and coming to a harsh halt, Sonic grinned at the round man above him, crossing his arms as a portrayal to his cocky attitude. "D'uh. It's kinda what we do. You know, being heroes an' all? Oh and by the way, I'm a hedgehog, not a rat. Get it right."

"You insulant hedgehog! You'll pay for the damage you've done to my robots **and** for your smart mouth!" Robotnik waved his fist at the teen.

Three years of battling the blue wind had drastically slowed down his progress. Upon realising his takeover of Mercia had been restored by the newly established Freedom Fighters, he had initially intended to eradicate them and be on his merry way in his pursuit for world domination.

That plan faltered at the sight of the blue hedgehog. Swift were his actions to eliminate his fleet. So indomitable, in strength and spirit. It was quickly signified that this running blue pineapple was to be a fearsome threat to him and his goal.

And that had been proven to be a fact by the tenth battle.

"Ah, you see? Isn't it great when we identify each other appropriately? I'm the hedgehog and you're the Egg-Man." He found himself unable to hold back his laughter to see the anger deepening onto the doctor's face.

"You are truly insufferable." Robotnik growled. "Robots, attack!"

By command, the blue hero was enclosed in a circle. The swarm of Egg Fighters and Egg Guns approached him at all angles, slowly constricting the hedgehog in the centre.

Looking around at all the robots, Sonic clicked on the screen of his communicator before losing his grin and acting hopeless. "Oh no. Whatever am I gonna do?" He concealed his grin by lowering his head, his eyes peering upward towards the evil mastermind and seeing his victorious sneer.

Too invested in the end of his cobalt nemesis, Robotnik failed to notice the incoming fighters rushing towards them.

Rouge swooped down passed the Egg Mobile, her velocity nearly knocking the man out of his hovering seat. "Ah! What the-" Robotnik gasped to see the rescue plan playing out before him. The bat grabbed the hedgehog, pulling him out of the circle and bringing him high enough to throw him back into the hoard. He spin dashed through the robots, a dozen explosions lifting smoke into the atmosphere.

Racing straight through the smoke and flames, Sally flipped over the debris, landing a kick into an Egg Gun's circuits. The malfunctioning robot span around rapidly, releasing it's artillery in a disordered frenzy. Dashing towards the hostile robot, Sonic shifted to skidding his body against the grass and grabbing the chipmunk and saving her from the crossfire.

"Thanks, Sonic." Sally expressed her gratitude upon being placed back on her feet.

"Don't mention it. Back in the fight." He smiled at the girl, giving her a brief two-finger salute before dashing back into the battle.

Rolling her eyes with an amused smile on her face, Sally raced back into the battle, erasing the thoughts that had triggered her cheeks to redden.

A charge of blue streaked passed the incoming Egg Fighters, luring them to follow. The robots marched after him, aiming their guns towards the balled up hedgehog. The bait for the ultimate lifeform to swoop in and demolish was set. Shadow threw a chaos sphere at the row of robots. The sphere sliced through the upper body of the Egg Fighters, sparking their circuits and creating more explosive machinery.

"Way to go, Shadow." Sonic chose to acknowledge the agent. His enthusiasm was often a pretence towards the dark hedgehog. Ever since he had heard of his training with Amy back in Central City, he was deemed a threat. A nuisance on his team. He couldn't deny the man's strength and knowledge over chaos energy, but based on personal opinion, he was not appreciative of his services.

There was a chance this opinion was shared with Shadow too. The man stared at him for just a moment before turning back to the fight. Sonic was just able to hear the man huff back a response as he vanished into combat.

"Thanks, Sonic. You shouldn't have..." Sonic muttered to himself before focusing on the robots ahead.

The onslaught of machinery formed a pile of mounting bolts and screws before the enemy. With Tails and Rouge securing the battle from above and Sonic, Shadow and Sally from below, Robotnik found himself outnumbered.

"Give up, Egghead?" Sonic taunted the mastermind, smirking at their apparent victory.

To the surprise of the heroes, Robotnik grinned a traitorous grin. "It's not over yet, Sonic. Prepare to meet... The Egg-Terminator!"

At the touch of a button, his latest creation was deployed onto the battlefield. The colossal mech stood twenty metres from the ground. It's bulk appearance, decorated in Robotnik's menacing trademark red, made it dense as it was armoured. It's hands replaced with deadly, sharp saws, each blade threatened to splice through flesh with ease.

It's piercing red eyes stared down at the heroes, bearing it's weapons before them. Alarmed, Sonic and his team stepped back and got into battle stances.

"Ha! How'd you like this design?!" The egg shaped man called out, overly impressed with himself.

Unfazed by the robot's stature, Sonic chuckled softly to himself and looked up at the man. "Pretty cool, Doc. It's just needs some finishing touches."

"Huh? Wha'... Finishing touches. Wha-" Robotnik thought aloud.

The ground suddenly shook violently beneath their feet, bringing the heroes to their knees. Beneath the Egg-Terminator, was an expanding sinkhole. It slowly began to sink into the ground until it was fully engulfed by the fallen land.

"What?!" Robotnik shrieked.

"Tails..." Sonic said conceitedly into his communicator, maintaining his grin.

The fox piloted over the sinkhole and dropped gallons of water from above. The water blended with the earth, forming thickened mud that embedded into the saws and through the robot's wiring, preventing it from moving.

"What?! How?! How does that even work?!" Robotnik yelled, pointing audaciously towards the sinkhole.

"Aw... Now that's the perfect finish. Nice work, Knuckle, Tails."

Walking back towards the blue hedgehog, Knuckles shook the dirt off his glove and gave the hedgehog a high five. Tails swooped passed his team as he landed the plane, shortly joining the assembled group.

"Great work, team!" The leader cheered, issuing high fives all round. His congratulatory gesture was cut short when approaching Shadow. He faced away from the blue hedgehog, rejecting his friendliness.

Shrugging off the man's rejection, Sonic looked back to Robotnik. "Guess that's another loss for you, Doc. Boy, that makes this the... sixtieth time? Or was it more than that?"

"It's the eightieth... B-but who's countin' anyway!" He growled. "This isn't the last you've seen from me, hedgehog! I'll be back!" He shouted as he flew off into the distance.

As the man left, the heroes cheered amongst themselves. Another victory to add to their triumphs over the man.

"Nice work, Heroes." McGrath congratulated the victors on approaching them alongside Jules. "Eighty straight wins against the mad Doctor. I think this is just enough to bring to conference." He said proudly.

Sonic gasped a short breath ecstatically. The long awaited possibility to be with his beloved once again caused his heart to flutter. "You mean... We'll all be shipped off to Central City?"

His son's enthusiasm awakened the general's scepticism. As part of their training, his siblings; Manic and Sonia had travelled to Mercia HQ throughout the seven summers they had spent in the country. And his mother? She called him every night, sent letters every so often. He surely hadn't missed them as much as he could've possibly missed... Her.

Seven years of strictly no contact with the pink hedgehog had to likely cause a break within their peculiar bond. The father had done everything to ensure they never saw one another. He even went as far as to provide 'distractions' for the pair of them during their training. For Amy, the mysteriously dark hedgehog, Shadow. And for Sonic, the captivating chipmunk, Sally. Two formidable heroes, with additional possession of beauty.

By his son's exhilarated response, he prayed he simply got ahead of himself out of anxiety. He had worked too hard and too long for his efforts to fail.

"Yes. Tomorrow, we'll be shipping you all to Central City. There, you can stay at the HQ and reacquaint yourself with the other heroes." The colonel wrapped his arm around the leader's shoulders and began to walk with him towards the base. "I'm sure you're most eager to see your family again, Blue Wind. Keep your communicator on at all times, and you may just get to stay back at your family home."

His luck was brimming. Elevated with euphoria, Sonic held a composed demeanour and nodded back at the crocodile. "You have my word, Sir."

"Just what I like to hear. Come! Rest awhile. We'll have a little celebration in the evening to mark our times together."

"Thank you, Sir."

"Nah. Thank you, Sonic. I can't express my gratitude enough."

He smiled at the praise from his father figure. He was somewhat ashamed to admit, but from the seven years he had spent under both his father and McGrath's supervision, he had found the colonel becoming more of an affectionate father than his biological parent. Though he expressed his admiration a few times, he couldn't help but notice his father becoming unrecognisable with every alcoholic breath that greeted him when conversating with him.

Since that horrific night so many years ago, the teen had drifted from his dad. The minor attempts to reconnect couldn't expell the taint of that moment of loss control.

The blue boy lead the group back to Mercia HQ with McGrath. Trailing behind, Jules watched his son laugh along with the colonel, demonstrating the gap between them. With a sigh, the father pulled out his trusty flask and tipped back the much needed beverage.

By noon, it was already near empty.

* * *

Swinging the door open to their sleeping quarters, Knuckles and Tails hurried to their beds and hopped onto the mediocre mattresses. They both sighed simultaneously, placing their hands behind their heads in a bid to relax.

Sonic on the other hand took his time to scope around the room. It was a simplistic, little room. Walls lacking any particular colour. A rough, grungy shade of army green, it's colour extending to the plain, dreary floors. The dried mud and trafficked shoes added some character to the mundane flooring.

On entering the room, his bed was straight ahead, facing east. The wooden, just-about comforting bedframes, covered by tough mattresses and modest pillow and blanket set were equal to his comrades' own. Tails slept in the bed in front of his, beside the window and Knuckles, a few metres from the door.

The blue hedgehog had been fortunate to grab first dibs on his bed. Being beside their shared bathroom, he was often the first to claim the hot water whenever it was shower time.

But limited luxury living was to be at its end after the coming evening. Tomorrow, he'd be living back at home in his bed; a brand new bed with plump pillows and warming blankets, just as his mother had told him. His old bedroom had apparently become Manic's punk inspired man-cave. While he didn't portray himself as a punk rocker, like his siblings had apparently adapted into, he would happily accept the changes nonetheless.

Anything to be with his lover again.

He could just imagine their first encounter again after all those years apart. He'd take her in his arms, trace one hand down her arm and bring it to hold her soft hand, pull her erotically close and vent all his pent up desire for her in his kiss.

It was his only dream. The only one he ever experienced after entering puberty. The sweetly innocent dream had grown into something more mature as he got older. Though he had countlessly conflicted with himself over the reoccurring fantasy, he knew in his heart that his emotions had always stayed true to her.

He was just going to have to burn in the abyss for his love.

The mood was sweeping over him again. Tedious yet insatiable need for relief. Biting his lip, he looked down towards his bed, thinking of his secluded box that contained his special material to ease his desire.

"You gonna stand there all day?" Knuckles asked, breaking the hedgehog out of his haze.

"Huh? Oh, yeah. My bad." He bashfully replied, jumping onto his bed and copied their actions. He crossed his leg over his knee, allowing his shoe to bounce leisurely.

"What's got you so worked up?" The echidna asked, lifting his head slightly to look over at the blue leader.

"What do you mean?"

"You just seem out of it since McGrath mentioned leaving this place."

Sonic looked up at the ceiling, lost in thought. "It's just a change, I guess. Eventhough I've seen my siblings and my mother, it's gonna be different to see them all back home." He took a moment to consider their circumstances as orphans, immediately being hit with guilt. "Uh, sorry. I didn't mean-"

"It's okay, Sonic. We can't really miss what we've never had." Tails reassured him. His reassurance just made him all the more guilty.

"I wonder who the other heroes are then?" Knuckles changed the conversation. "I mean, we've pretty much met the others, haven't we?"

"We haven't met the general's youngest daughter." Tails points out. "She's said to be a fierce fighter. Alongside her sister; Sonia, they're practically indescribable!"

"We know about Sonia..." Knuckles said.

"I bet you do." Sonic replied somewhat mockingly. His protective side however couldn't be mask as he shot a glare over to the echidna.

Knuckles was soon silenced by the blue blur's comment. He looked back over to him, witnessing the sharp gaze. He gulped, embarrassed. "How did you know about that?"

"Word spreads. Especially when it's family." His expression shortly changed once he deemed he had punished his friend long enough. "Relax. It's cool... So long as you're not taking advantage."

"I'm not. Wasn't."

"Wasn't? As in, it's over?" Sonic furrowed his brows.

"It's not."

Tails looked back and forth at the teenagers, clueless to what they were talking about. "Is this about you and Rouge?" He questioned the red male.

The fox's question peaked Sonic's attention. "Rouge?! Dude, you better not be messin' my sister around." He growled, rising from his bed.

Knuckles shot a glare at the young boy before getting up from his bed. "I'm not. The timeline got a little messy, but I swear I'm not messin' with her." He said sincerely. "Look, let's grab one of those chilli dogs and discuss it later?"

Though interested to hear his friend's side of the story, the opportunity for alone time was ripe for the picking. "You guys go on. I'll catch up."

"But I'm not hungry-"

"Tails. I'm saying I wanna be alone..." Sonic frowned at the boy.

"Oh. Well alright then." He jumped up off his bed and followed Knuckles to the door. He looked back briefly to his best friend and flashed a quick smile before closing the door.

Once he had heard the click of the door, Sonic hastily grabbed his box from under the bed and pulled out the bulk of letters stored beneath the photographs taken throughout his years in Mercia. He left the box on the ground and scanned through the letters. His secret stash of communication with Amy.

Admittedly, it was a one-sided communication. Unable to slip pass his father long enough to write his love words down, he spent his energy retrieving hers. At the crack of dawn, he would dash passed the security cameras and swipe her letters before his father could acknowledge the mail. His basic retrieval system hadn't failed him thus far.

The newest letter from dawn had yet to be opened. While curious to hear of her latest tales, he decided to read some of her words once more, yearning to feel connected with her again.

_December 16th, 4326_

_Dear Sonic,_

_These past four weeks have been the worse weeks of my life! I miss you so much that it hurts. I keep telling myself that one day, you're gonna walk through that door and just hold me like you used to. To reassure me like you always have._

_I know we didn't exactly end it all with a happy goodbye, but I know from the way you held me that day that you wanted to say those words to me, like I had to you._

_And so, I've decided to wait for you. Distance can't break us and we'll just have to prove that. I'll try and write to you again soon. Until then, happy holidays._

_I love you. With all my heart._

_Forever yours,_

_Amy._

_xoxo_

_February 8th, 4331_

_Dear Sonic,_

_Life remains pretty boring without you here. If it wasn't for all this training McGrath's got me doing, I think I'd die of boredom! I actually like the training. It keeps me busy and my mind in check. (Otherwise, I'd just be thinking of you, nonstop... That doesn't sound too bad...)_

_I guess some things have changed around here. Manic's gone AWOL lately: Coming back late at night, sneaking out, he dresses in spiked cuffs and has even got a tattoo sleeve down his arm! Mum's been screaming at him constantly about his behaviour, but I think it's making him worse._

_He_ _just seems so... Out of it lately. It's hard to talk to him without him sounding like he's drowsy... Dunno what's gotten into him. Since his visit to Mercia, he's become a total jerk!_

_Sonia's changed too. She's a little more happy than usual. She finally confessed that she met a guy while in Mercia... Knibbles? Snubbles? Knuckles? Something like that. She even lost her virginity to him! Don't tell her I told you. I was sworn to secrecy, but you're my walking diary so you're the exception._

_She's asked me if I'm interested in anyone. Oh I wish I could say it. I wish I could declare my love for you from the rooftops... But perhaps it's best I say nothing at all._

_Hope to hear from you soon. I love you, Sonic._

_Forever yours,_

_Amy._

_xoxo_

_June 17th 3432_

_Dear Sonic,_

_Happy early birthday! Not sure when you'll get this letter, but preferably sometime around your birthday is fine._

_I wanted to give you something. Something for your eyes only. After all the birthdays I've missed, I hope this'll make up for it._

_I've come along way from that little girl you left behind. I'm sure you'll agree when you see._

_I love you so much. Please write to me soon._

_Forever yours,_

_Amy._

_xoxo_

From the particular letter dropped two photographs. Ones too explicit for peeping eyes. His eyes had nearly fallen out of place on the first sighting of her lewd photography. Much like his fantasies, he had been conflicted over right and wrong. To engage in his urges, or take heed in his father's conditioning.

It wasn't long before he strayed to instinctive pleasure.

Then he was left feeling ashamed and guilt ridden, until the next time.

And that next time was just about to occur.

Taking his material, he began to pack up the rest of the letters in his box. His eyes once again fell onto the new letter he had received that morning. He contemplated on the choice to open it. His alone time was already a luxury, to rid himself of his urges was his main goal during his solitude.

But perhaps a quick read wouldn't change anything.

Tearing the envelope off, the blue boy skimmed across the paper. His eyes widening with terror the more he read.

_October 4th, 3433_

_Dear Sonic,_

_I have been thinking a lot lately. I've lost count of the sleepless nights I've had just thinking and crying over you._

_For seven years, I have put my life on hold, for you. I have skipped dozens of opportunities to date and receive affection, thinking one day, you'd be back and we'd finally be together..._

_But I can see now, I was holding onto a fairytale._

_I've been holding onto faith, not security. I don't even know if you feel the same way for me anymore and it breaks my heart not knowing if you've moved on and forgotten me._

_This is madness!_

_I am literally pouring my heart out to my brother! Because that's what we are, isn't it? You are my brother and I am your sister. Our love should never have been... I'm starting to think Mum and Dad had the right idea to separate us all along._

_Because it was wrong of us. Wrong of me to continue the communication despite being forbade. I was wrong to send you those pictures of me. I'm sorry. I was so desperate for your attention, I wasn't thinking straight._

_But now I am, and now I know what's best._

_So in a way, this is our goodbye. Just as depressing as the one before..._

_Take care of yourself._

_Sincerely,_

_Amy._

The paper's edge crinkled in his hands in his despair. Breathing through a shaking breath, he squeezed his eyes shut to prevent his tears from escaping.

This couldn't be happening. Not now. Not when he was so close to finally leaving Mercia and being back with her again. He couldn't face this reality. He couldn't bring himself to believe that fact.

His lover had pretty much dumped him and secured that end with the labels they had both thrown away with their first kiss.

Frustrated were his actions as he frantically put the letter in his box and shoved it back under the bed. The heartbroken teen rose to his feet and placed his hands behind his head, forcing himself to quickly process the heart aches and have it over with. He was already done with the pain of his cracked heart.

His pain was somewhat eased by the nostalgic feeling of connecting with her words. To put himself back in the security of knowing that no matter how long he was gone, she'd be waiting for him back home. Ready for him to open the door and whisk her away.

Placing the pictures in front of him, he inhaled deeply and marched into the bathroom, locking the door behind him. For a moment, he would let go of the pain and reminisce in their time as a couple.

* * *

The mirror before him displayed a blue hedgehog in turmoil. Stinging eyes pleading to unleash his agony, jittering lips barely holding back his sobs. He had believed he knew of heartache. That every waking moment without her had instilled a permanent gnawing to the organ. But this, this stabbing pain that wouldn't soothe itself was excruciating. No amount of denial seemed to alleviate his suffering.

She really had given up on him. After all this time.

Why? Why couldn't she hold on just a little longer? Seven years was a long time, but all he was asking for was another day. Twenty four hours.

But after her surrender to their parents' instructions, twenty four hours would mean nothing if she actually saw him as her brother.

He inhaled a sharp breath, the intake like daggers to his ribs. What was he to do now? All of his efforts had been motivated by her. Once he made it back, what then? Her abandonment left him lost, without purpose. It was all good being a hero, until he lost his reason to fight.

Staring into his eyes through the mirror, he silently asked himself the question; Should he give up on her? If she was to move on and forget they were ever a thing, shouldn't he do the same?

Another heavy breath was expelled. As much as he wanted to be petty and rebound the heartache, his love for her kept him loyal, imprisoned.

She may have let him go, but he was still very much tied to her.

Sonic shook his head and looked back at his reflection. He leered at himself, telling himself consciously to not let this wear him down. He was a hero, with responsibility. As agonised as he was, he couldn't let his emotions get the better of him.

Especially with his dad lurking around. Any sign of emotion and he was to be strung up and tormented further.

Determined, he grabbed his sport tape and wrapped it around his arms and his gloves. He moved on to fixing his brown neckerchief and washed the emotions from his face. Ready to face the world with his masked expression.

He grabbed the photos from the bathroom countertop and headed to the door. As he unlocked the door and took a step into his room, the blue wind jolted to see his dad standing before him. His breath hitched, his injured heart forced to work overtime out of anxiety.

He immediately placed the photos behind his back.

"Sir." Sonic breathed out. His wide eyes never left the general.

Jules soundlessly chuckled. "Sonic, I'm your dad. You don't have to address me all the time."

His son responded with a timid smile, uncertain how to reply to him. He fidgeted uncomfortably in front of him, leading him to become suspicious.

"So, uh, was there anything you wanted?" The teenager asked.

"Uhhh, no. Not really. Heh, I just came to check up on you." Jules said, rubbing the back of his head awkwardly. "You did well today. Out there, on the battlefield. It makes me proud to see you in action."

The admiration had caught him off guard. If his compliments and criticism were measured on a scale, the criticism would win. His praise seemed to provide an air of vulnerability in the man. One that left him awkward and embarrassed.

"Thanks..." Sonic smiled meekly.

Jules read his son's body language; Just as awkward as him. The sight was too much to bear, even when slightly tipsy. "Sonic..." The general sighed and pulled his white quill away from his face. "I know I don't say it enough, or show it. But I do love you. I want what is best for you. Always have, always will."

As heartwarming his sentiment appeared, Sonic remained sceptical. Was this the alcohol talking? Or were these cover-up words for what he really meant?

He'd always want to shape the best vision for his son's life. His own wants and needs had little priority in his dad's goal for perfection.

Even still, the young hedgehog nodded back at his father and beared another smile. "Love you too, Dad."

Jules breathed a short breath through his nose, relieved to hear those words from his boy. He knew their relationship was damaged, but with a little attention and affection, perhaps he was back on track. "Come here." He said, approaching the teen with open arms.

Startled, Sonic prayed his father's eyes hadn't wondered down and saw the inappropriate content of his daughter, in his hand. He embraced the man with his free hand, patting him on the back just as his father did to him.

Pulling away from the blue boy, Jules smiled sincerely. "So, did you wanna head for lunch with your old man? Or is that not hip anymore?"

Sonic chuckled, internally cringing to the man's lingo. "Nah, you're good... Just give me a sec."

"Sure, no problem." He nodded. Leaving the room and walking a short distance down the hall, the father turned on his heel and sneaked back to the room. Peering round the doorframe, he witnessed his son place two photographs into an envelope and quickly shove the envelope back in the box and back beneath his bed.

Briskly pacing down the hall, the general pretended to be obliviously waiting until his son dashed out of the room and stopped beside him. The father faked a smile and wrapped his arm around his son's shoulders, momentarily looking back at the room in curiosity.

He was going to find out what was in that box.

* * *

The clear blue skies, nor the crisp autumn breeze could lift the spirits of the hero. Sat on the tallest rolling hilltop, the teen channelled his discrete heartache into his guitar, strumming diminishing notes and slow tempo. His music sang his woes, spilled his tears into harmonious tune.

"Gee... Who hurt you?" The voice of his music teacher came from behind him.

Abruptly stopping, Sonic looked over his shoulder to the pale blue hedgehog. "I heard the tune on the radio." He lied. His false truth were not fooling the older hedgehog. "What you doing out here anyway, Rob?"

"Hey, I was gonna ask you that question." He smiled empathetically, looking down at the view before them. "Girl trouble, huh? I didn't know you were interested in anyone."

Embarrassed to have been read so accurately, Sonic blushed and avoided facing the man standing beside him.

Rob sat beside the hero and watched the view from his perspective. "You really cared about this person, didn't you?" He was surprised to see how torn up the kid was over his break up. He had always been so aloof in every aspect of his life, to see him so beaten by the ache was complexing.

The hero shot an irritated expression back at the fighter, causing the man to look away. "My bad. I didn't mean to pry."

"Nah, it's alright." Sonic told him, deciding to relieve himself from some of the pain by sharing vague details. He and Rob had become close friends throughout the years through their shared interest in the guitar. A close friend that was not close enough to his father to gossip. "Yeah, to answer your question, she was pretty special."

"What happened?"

"She gave up on me... Waited too long for me to get back."

"Long distance can be a killer at times... Have you tried calling her? Gotten in contact at least?"

Sonic lowered his head, hesitant to reveal too much. "Dad doesn't really approve of our relationship... He thinks she distracts me from training. So I haven't been in contact."

Rob rolled his eyes and shook his head at the teen's logic. "Are you really surprised she would give up if you haven't been talking to her? Communication is key in a relationship. Heck, I'd dump you if you left me on hold. As for your dad... I mean this in the nicest way when I say 'fuck him'. It's your life, if she means that much to you, dont give up on her."

His ears stood to attention, intrigued by his opinion. "So you think I should try and win her back?"

"Totally." Rob nodded. "There will always be someone there to give you a good time, but to find someone who completes you is a whole different story. If you found that in her, dont let her go."

Taking in the man's advice, Sonic smiled with hope, his heart easing ever so slightly. To win Amy back would be his new goal. He had waited too long for her to slip out of his hands.

"Thanks, Rob. I appreciate it."

"No problem." He smiled back at the teen before inhaling the crisp air. "Ah, I'm gonna miss this place. It's cities may currently be barren, but it's home, you know? I'm sure you're looking forward to seeing your family again. And the girlfriend."

"It's been a long time coming."

"No kidding. I'd do anything to see my family again." He looked up to the sky and reminisced on memories of his family. "Fourteen years 'nd it only seems like yesterday..." He felt the boy's sorrowful gaze on him. Turning to the teen, he chuckled light-heartedly. "Look at us. What a pair of downers, eh?"

Sonic chuckled along with him, the emotional tensity slowly fading.

"I guess while I'm in Central City, I can track down my cousin. She must be a teenager by now."

Intrigued, Sonic kept his eyes on the hedgehog beside him, awaiting to hear more about his family member. A girl, once a resident of Mercia, taken to Central City years ago, and now a teenager?

Was it a stretch to think Amy, a hedgehog, was related to this Mercian hedgehog?

Noticing Sonic's interest, Rob unknowingly confirmed his suspicions. "Her name was Rose. She apparently survived the attack fourteen years ago, and was adopted by a couple in Central City. Being eighteen at the time, I chose to cut ties with her. I couldn't raise a baby when I had lost everything." He sighed and looked back to the view. "I don't know if she's still in Central City. I don't even know if she has the same name or what she looks like anymore."

His lips parted, the words so close to revealing his knowledge on the man's cousin. As a breath was released from him, the general appeared behind them.

"Rob." Jules greeted the hedgehog.

Looking up to see the general, Rob jumped to his feet and saluted the man. "Sir."

"Do you mind if I speak with my son?"

"No, no. 'Course not." He looked to Sonic and smiled. "Catch you later, Speedster." He issued another salute to the general and left the father and son to their talk.

Sonic watched Rob walk away, bothered to have their conversation end so soon. "What's up, Dad?" He questioned, covering his annoyance.

Jules took a seat beside his son and looked down at the view. The stench of alcohol radiated from his person as he sat down. "I've heard a rumour... In regards to a special someone..."

He was already uncomfortable with the topic of conversation. His heart was back to racing too fast once more at the terrifying possibility of his father knowing of his ongoing feelings for the specific girl. His calm demeanour could be no more than a trap.

"What?" Sonic asked with exaggerated cluelessness.

His father looked his way, holding an expanding smirk. "Sally... According to gossip, she's quite fond of you."

A sigh of relief couldn't be helped. This news however had come with shock. He had never noticed any signs of attraction from the girl. On the other hand, he truthfully hadn't been paying enough attention to notice.

"Does she?"

"Yeah... You know, her interest in you could be advantageous for your image as a hero. With Sally by your side, you could both be the faces of the 'Age of Heroes'. Not to mention she comes from a well off family who could provide even more funding for the project."

"But isn't that why we're all heading back to Central City? To demonstrate our abilities to the government and receive further funding?"

"Well, yeah... But what's wrong with a little extra?" Jules shrugged. "We'd be able to invest in more research, more weapons, advance our tech... And all you have to do, is accept her." He said, pulling out a protective packet and placing it in the teen's hand.

Sonic stared down at the contraception placed in his hand, his expression horrified. He was left bewildered and vulnerable from his father's somewhat forceful wish. Like a child, he slowly looked back to his dad, doe eyed filled with confusion and betrayal.

"Just in case something happens tonight. I understand as a young man, you'd have a few wild oats to sow."

His throat ran dry from the mortifying situation bestowed upon him. From all the questionable situations and tactics his father had used on him throughout the years, this was by far the most disturbing. If his dad did know anything about him, he'd know of his lack of romantic or general sexual attraction he had for the chipmunk. He admired her strength, he valued her friendship, but his heart was already taken.

To ruin that friendship and trick the girl for the sake of financial gain was unjustifiable. Corrupt.

But that didn't matter to his father. The man's ideals for his son's life were worth more than his son's happiness.

And the actions for not following his father's ideals were probably more consequential than losing a friend. He miserably surrendered to his dad's will, putting the packet in his back quills. "I'll talk to her later." He said mournfully, rising from the ground.

"It'll do you good to have a good woman by your side... One that's not related..." He spoke beneath his breath, soundly enough for Sonic to hear.

Looking back over his shoulder with bottled rage, Sonic balled his fists tightly and dashed back to Mercia HQ. With no one to protect him from his father, he was to be a pawn to his plan for financial security and recognised as a respectable hero with no history of incestuous wrongdoing.

He had never been more intimidated by his father's sinister nature.

* * *

The night of celebrations was well underway. The heroes banded together in merry cheer; laughing with one another, danced with one another, and gorged on the luxury feast laid out for them.

For Sonic however, the fraudulent act of merriness was costing his energy. Every so often, he would look over to his dad and see his demanding stare. It was ultimately a test he desired for his son to succeed; Bed the girl and prove any feelings for his sister were left in the past.

But the test was so extreme, he wasn't sure he could face it.

Gulping down his drink in his hand, he took refuge beneath a tree. The copper beech tree had been decorated in fairy lights, much like the trees surrounding them. The subtle decoration managed to soothe him slightly as he looked up into the grand tree.

"Only you would be nature watching while at a party." Knuckles snickered.

Turning around to see the fox and echidna approaching him, Sonic smiled to his friends and leaned against the bark of the tree. "I'm a big fan of the scenery."

"Taking a break from staring at Sally?" The echidna sneered.

Scrunching his features, the hedgehog shook his head. "No. You've really got the wrong idea..."

"Do I now? I guess it's just my imagination?"

"Yep! You guessed it."

Tails looked to the chipmunk and bat standing near the food stand. The chipmunk looked over to the young boy and smiled at him, her eyes then drifting to the blue hedgehog and holding a fond gaze.

"She's watching you." Tails said, his eyes still blatantly watching the girl.

The trio looked to the chipmunk, their stares forced her to look away, embarrassed to have their attention.

"Aaaah, I see how it is. Both too shy to approach one another?" Knuckles grinned at the blue boy. His grin only annoyed the hedgehog further.

"That's not-" He witnessed his father's stare once more while peering over the red male's shoulder. His darkened features reminding him of the terror in his heart.

His motives changed.

"Alright. You got me. I don't know how to approach her." Sonic falsely confessed, rubbing his nose bashfully.

Sniggering, Knuckles walked behind the hedgehog and began to push him towards the girls. "There's nothing to it. Just go to her and tell her you like her."

"Whoa, whoa, wait! What's the rush?!" Sonic panicked, scuffing his shoes against the grass to help slow himself down.

"Is the speed king asking me to slow down? You really are nervous."

With the girls metres ahead, Knuckles shoved the blue hero in front of Rouge and Sally. They turned to him; Rouge smirking at the embarrassed male while Sally smiled.

"Hey, Sonic." The chipmunk greeted him, more composed than he was.

"Uh, hi... You, um, enjoying the party?" He awkwardly enquired, rubbing the back of his neck in an attempt to calm himself.

"Yeah. And you?"

"Great. Yeah, it's great..." He couldn't help but notice his friend's giggling behind him. A blush painted his features from his humiliation.

Seeing the boy's discomfort, Sally gently held his hand and leaned close to him. "Did you wanna go somewhere more private?"

He was cautious of the meaning behind her request. Was she coming onto him? Or was she saving him from the onlookers?

Whatever her intentions were, he needed to get out of the spotlight. "Sure."

The girl smiled at him as she walked passed him and lead the way into the nearby forest. She looked back at the blue hedgehog and awaited for him to follow.

A shaky breath came from the teen before he unwillingly dragged his feet towards the girl. A quick glimpse to his dad confirmed the man's approval. He smiled somewhat proudly, making Sonic feel even more disgusted with himself.

To betray his friend, his lover and his dignity, perhaps his father would stop his torment.

* * *

Walking down the dark path of the forest, the teens treaded in an uneven silence. With Sonic trying to remain calm and dutiful, and Sally simply appreciating the tranquil night.

The pair shortly came to a stop by the tree stump of an old oak tree. Nature's perfect seat for both of them. The moonlight shined through the mountainous trees, offering a romantic light.

The chipmunk took her seat first, her crush awkwardly following suit.

"It's a beautiful night out, isn't it?" She said in awe, looking up at the moonlight.

"It is..."

She gradually brought her eyes back to him, seeing his nervousness breaking through the façade. Concerned, she endeavoured to keep him calm. Her hand fell onto his, grasping his attention.

"I hope the guys didn't cause you too much agitation." She said.

He looked down at their hands, remorseful to not feel the same feelings he felt when holding Amy's. "Nah. I just got a lot on my mind, that's all." He jolted slightly. Was that the right thing to say?

"A ring for your thoughts?"

The opportunity for a smooth recovery came to be. "I've just been thinking about... Motivation. What am I fighting for? _Who_ I am fighting for?"

"Because what's the point in fighting if you don't know what you're fighting for?" She finished his questioning for him.

"Exactly. You get it... Guess I'm still searching for that reason." He turned towards the girl, bearing a charming look of longing.

She studied his features, her lip slowly curling to form a flirtatious smile. "What if the reason is right beside you?"

The plan had been set, his moment was now. He turned himself to face her, his hand finding it's way to her soft cheek. The heat from her face warmed his gloved hand, the only bit of comfort he was receiving during the situation.

He took the lead, leaning close to her achingly slow. He used the little time he had to brace himself for what he was going to do. His mind whirling in hyperdrive was forced to shut down to at least tolerate the feeling long enough to convince her.

Her eyes fluttered shut as she drew near to him. Heart pounding and swelling with the passion she had held for the boy ever since their earlier days in training. The sensation of his body heat getting closer to her brought her fantasies to life.

He followed her actions, closing his eyes and enduring the anxiety and pressure he was experiencing. His tense muscles clenched at the shared breath that came with parted lips. Squeezing his eyes tighter, he told himself to go with the motion. Feel the pleasure that came with the affection and continue from there.

Their lips joined as one. A flowing dance of passionate adoration from one.

... And emptiness from the other.

"Ngh..." Sonic grunted, parting from the girl. He was surprised by his own actions. When did he pull away? "Sorry."

"It's okay." She assured him, less certain in herself.

He understood his own actions, the reason for his recoil. The kiss was lifeless, passionless and scorned. As his lips connected with hers, he saw his dignity spent, his lover's tears. To touch another burned him, an infliction to his wounded heart.

Though emotional pain was to be accompanied with physical if he failed this mission.

He cleared his throat and shifted to a more forceful approach, grabbing her exposed waist and pulling her back into another kiss. He braced through the negative energy stabbing his heart, his goal pushing him through.

Until he saw his belove's tears fabricate in his mind.

"Ugh." He pulled away again, grimacing to the mental image.

"You know a girl gets nervous when she hears a sound like that." Sally joked through the awkward moment.

Defeated, Sonic shook his head and looked away from the girl, already contemplating what was to happen to him once his dad found out what had happened. "Sorry. I must be a little rusty..." He lied, biting his lip.

"Sonic..." She called for his attention. She looked into his eyes, minimal emotion conveyed. What she was looking for could not be found; the same reaction reflecting in her eyes. "Who is she?"

As she expected from the question, his eyes dilated at the thought of another filling his mind. "Huh?"

She smiled through her pain. "The Pupil's Surrender. That's what mother calls it anyway. When you think of the person who owns your heart, you can see it in their eyes. I never saw that look at the party... I never saw it at all. I just wanted a moment where I could, just for a moment, allow you to see that look."

Guilt ridden, he looked down at the ground, focusing on the fallen autumn leaves. "I'm sorry, Sal. Really, I am. I... I got dumped recently... I thought I could relieve the pain by..." He sighed tiresomely to the countless lies he was spilling. Looking back at the girl, she nodded mournfully, accepting his story. She was a failed rebound. "I never meant to hurt you."

She shook her head at him, continuing to smile through the pain. "I appreciate your honesty, Sonic." She breathed out a sigh and looked to the sky. "Whoever she was, she was foolish to let you go."

Not knowing what to say to her comment, Sonic followed her eyes to the sky. He wished he could be honest. He wished to be free of all the lies he was forced to uphold. His forbidden love, his father's abuse towards him, the hidden agendas to execute his plans.

Once he got to Central City, he would get the motivation he needed to continue through the ordeal.

"Sonic?"

"Hmm?" He turned his head to the chipmunk.

Laughing nervously, Sally bit her lip and turned to the boy beside her. "I know it's probably wrong of me to ask this of you now, but... Can we end this on a good note? ... With a beautiful goodbye?"

Her eyes setting on his lips once more signal her intentions. Despite his feelings towards another kiss, he deemed it was the least he could do for her after breaking her innocent heart. He nodded back at her, allowing her to plant one more longing kiss on his expecting lips before she parted with a smile.

"Thank you." She whispered, getting up from her seat and looking down the dark path ahead. "Uh..." She turned back to him and giggled awkwardly. "I don't mean to sound ungrateful after that request, but I really don't wanna walk back on my own..."

Chuckling along to her giggling, Sonic hopped off the stump and stood next to the girl. "Totally your call, but I can get us back in a flash if you wanna ride?"

Nodding enthusiastically, she allowed the boy to take her in his strong arms. Her arms wrapped around his shoulders as he secured her in his grip.

"Hold on."

"Always." She said, placing her head against his chest and listening intently to his heartbeat. The beauty of the beat leaving her awestruck.

In a flash, they vanished from the forest and back to the party. As the pair parted ways at the party, Sonic looked back at his friends with a bittersweet sadness. For his impatiently waiting father had given the look of authority, summoning him back to HQ.

He could only imagine his punishment this time.

* * *

Following the general down the dark, quiet halls, the blue teen's heart slammed into his ribcage, the strength of his aching heart making his head spin. The footsteps of his father were heavy, timed to an eerie beat. He compared it to the tick of a clock. A countdown to his retribution.

The man came to a halt outside the boy's bedroom. He opened the door and switched on the light before stepping aside and gesturing the boy to go in. Though wary, Sonic obeyed, lowering his head as he walked passed the drunkard. The door was closed behind the general, leaving Sonic on edge.

"How'd it go?" Jules asked, wanting to hear his son's response.

The blue hedgehog stood by the door, watching nervously as his dad sat on his bed. "I... I couldn't go through with it."

"Oh? And why not?"

"Dunno..." He lied, fidgeting uncomfortably. "Wasn't in the mood..."

"Really? Hmm, that's a little surprising to hear. After all, she is a very charming young woman. Don't you think?"

The conversation was making him more and more uncomfortable. His dad's falsely composed attitude only adding to his nervousness. "She's alright..."

Jules chuckled, clenching and unclenching his fist rhythmically. "I dunno if I'm just being paranoid, overthinking it... But when a beautiful girl shows a liking in you, and you turn that down... It kinda gives me the impression that there's a bigger reason behind it."

He couldn't bear to hold his gaze. His father's piercing eyes exposing him left him with little power. There was something about that stare, informed and antagonising.

His eyes made the bad choice to look beneath the bed. The furrowing eyebrow of the man before him verified his suspicion.

"D-dad... I-"

The previous composure had deteriorated and was quickly taken over by the man's rage. Terrified, Sonic span towards the door and grabbed the handle, yanking harshly. He abruptly discovered the door had been locked, the jittering lock breaking at his force.

Before he could swing open the door, Jules yanked on his long quills and shoved him into the wall beside the door. Sonic grunted as his head hit the wall. That pain was instantly forgotten as he was lifted off the ground by a hand gripped tightly around his throat.

"You've got some fucking nerve to disobey me. You knew the rules. No contact with Amy... You've been in contact this whole time!"

"I never sent... any letters." He choked out, gripping his father's hand desperately.

"Yet you kept hers. Every single one of them. And the pictures..." He slammed the boy harshly against the wall. "You disgusting piece of shit. What's wrong with you, huh? Jerking off to naked photographs of your sister? Of my little girl?!"

The sight of his son's rolling eyes caused him to remove his hand from his throat. The teenager dropped to the ground and wheezed violently, slowly dragging himself off the floor.

"At least Amy has come to her senses and forgotten about your deplorable relationship. You on the other hand, you're still caught up in this creepy obsession of yours. If you think you're gonna go back home with these sickening feelings for your sister, you can think again."

The sound of incoming footsteps alerted the general. He grabbed his son by his forearm and forced him on his feet. His roommates shortly arrived at the door, displaying some effort to open the broken-lock door.

"Sir." Knuckles and Tails saluted the general on sight.

As if nothing had happened, Jules smiled at the fighters. "Hey, guys. D'ya like the party?"

"Yes, Sir."

"Good... Good..." He trailed off, looking to his silent son. He patted his back, commanding him to play along. "Sonic and I were just discussing his extra training. He actually wants more training! Can you believe this kid?"

His friends looked to the blue hero, shocked by the news to stay behind for extra training. He had been so sure of returning home.

"Really, Sonic?" Tails asked, bewildered by the change of heart.

A part of him pleaded to deny his father's claims, to reveal the torture his father had been putting him through. But the fear of what would happen if he said a word left him feeble to his father's power.

Thus, he lied. "Y-yeah." He said, coarse toned. "I'm the leader after all. Gotta show I'm worth the title."

Still rather dubious of his claims, his friends accepted the story, making themselves comfortable on their beds.

Making his leave, Jules turned back to his son, bearing a passive aggressive manner. "Leave the belongings to me. I'll deal with them." He said, referring to the box of letters.

Looking back beneath his bed, he realised the box had already been confiscated. He turned back to his dad, only to find he had already left.

"Sooo... How'd things go with Sally? She's refused to tell us. Not one to kiss and tell." Knuckles teased the blue hedgehog.

Ignoring the echidna, Sonic opened the bathroom door. "I'm gonna shower." He told his friends before entering the bathroom and locking the door behind him.

Knuckles snickered at the hero once again. "Heh, that hog."

* * *

The darkened clouds unleashed a downpour of torrential rain that bitter cold morning. The beating rain was similar to that of his pounding heart, the raindrops reflecting his own emotions.

His friends had long since left the headquarters. In his desolate gloom, he clinged to his friends, arms bearing the tightest hugs he could conjure. His friends had been quizzical of his behaviour, but regardless, returned the affection.

As the headquarters grew more peaceful, his inner peace was scratched away. It was only a matter of time before his dad came for him, ready to serve him his punishment.

Survival told him to flee. To just run while he was still alone. But years of conditioning left him in his father's control. He was ruled by the fear of his dad's wrath.

How he wished he could be free of the constant trepidation.

The door swung open, hitting the wall from the sheer force. The slam alerted the blue hedgehog, making him jump to see his father's sleepless, dark eyes staring back at him.

Jules held up a collar and chain before the teen. "Come." He demanded.

Already knowing the drill, the boy guardedly approached the man and allowed him to emasculate him with the collar to the neck. It was tightened to an uncomfortable level, just enough to allow short breaths.

He was pulled down the hall, down the stairs to the lower ground floors. These floors had originally been the detention centre; prison, possibly for any enemy captives or undisciplined heroes. Once it had been proven to be an unnecessary facility, it was shut off from the rest of the HQ, left to become a dark and dilapidated corner of the base.

The humidity covered pipes hummed in the background, vibrating gently against the walls. He could hear a broken pipe nearby, tiny droplets of water making lightly echoed splashes. Another noise he could compare to a clock ticking away.

He was beginning to think it was a sign.

His father dragged him into a chamber of black, sleek stone walls and floors. In the centre of the room was a desk and two chairs, one either side of the table. Sonic was dragged towards the chair where he was forced to sit down and was chained to the screwed down desk.

Locking the door behind them, Jules sat opposite his son, glowering at his defected child. "I can't begin to express how disappointed I am. After all these years, I really thought you were over this corruption. I see now, you were just hiding it from me."

"Why are we here?" Sonic asked, too ashamed to continue the conversation of his lies against his dad.

The man placed a device on the table. A round device with a hand-shaped imprint, with a strap across the top. Jules pulled the strap away and instructed Sonic to place one hand in the device. He warily obliged. "This is a lie detector. When asked a series of questions, it'll pick up on increased heart rate and..." He switched on the device. The sound of static and electrical clicks alarmed the teenager. "Provide a bit of a shock."

Watching his hand in the electronic device, he tugged slightly, soon realising how tight the strap was around his hand.

"I'll ask you some questions. I advise you to be honest throughout the session." He said, pulling out a tablet device from his pocket and monitored the boy's polygraph. "Just answer with 'yes' or 'no'." He told the boy.

His pounding heart rate appeared on the screen, indicating his unnerved emotions. "Question one. Is your name Sonic The Hedgehog?"

The question surprised him at first. Why ask the obvious? "Yes."

"Is your mother named Aleena?"

"Yes."

"Do you have a brother?"

"Yes."

"Is his name, Manic?"

"Yes..."

The polygraph showed a straight baseline, a steady line from his honesty that would instantly detect his potential lies by spiking across the graph. The perfect setup.

His questions became more personal. "Do you feel any attraction towards Sally Acorn?"

Sonic looked back at his dad, his serious expression giving away his obvious unfortified being.

"Just answer with either 'yes' or 'no'." Jules reminded him. Patiently waiting for his answer.

He looked back at his hand, regretful in his obedience. They both knew the answer, his father especially. "... No." He replied truthfully, his hand remaining shock-free.

Nodding back at his son, Jules continued with the personal questions. "Do you have any romantic feelings towards Amy Rose?"

His heart rate increased dramatically, panic settling in. The teen's breath hitched, his falter about to transpire. He begged his father through doleful eyes, grovelling for mercy. But callous was the man's response as he looked back at his son emotionlessly, waiting for his answer.

"Answer the question, Sonic."

"Dad, please-"

"I said answer the question." His tone of voice was threatening, still poised yet incensed.

Panicked, he denied the truth they were both aware of. "No." The device detected the spike in heart rate and delivered a bolt of electricity to the liar. "Argh!" He yelped.

Shaking his head in his disapproval, Jules continued with his questions, holding back his malice. "Do you feel sexual attraction towards Amy Rose?"

His chest heaved from the anxiety overcoming him, pent up tears unable to be restrained. "Dad, please. I'm sorry, I really am sorry. Please don't do this." He cried.

Yet he persisted. "Do you feel any sexual attraction towards Amy? Yes or no?!"

"No!" He blurted out. The device sent another charge of electricity through his hand, the pain travelled up his hand, causing the boy to jolt back in his seat. "Aaaargh!"

Slamming the tablet on the desk, Jules hastily released his son from his binds and gripped onto one of his quills. He unlocked the chamber door and dragged his son back through the desolate underground.

"I'm sorry!" The boy cried, pleading with his enraged dad.

"I'll wash the taint out of you! I'll do whatever it takes to make you stop this sick behaviour!" He screamed at him. He stopped in front of another chamber cell and ripped open the door. He shoved his son into the room and locked him inside.

Spin dashing against the door, he bounced across the cold floor, in awe to figure out the door was made from the same alloy material as the stormer created by Tails and Manic. His escape was inefficacious.

"Dad! Let me out! Please!" Sonic pleaded, slamming his fist against the door.

"You'll thank me for this one day." His father responded.

The sudden sound of gushing water filled his ears. Petrified, the teen turned towards the sound and gasped to see the small room was filling up with water. No. Not this. His own father wouldn't use his worse fear against him, would he?

Pounding his fist against the door, Sonic hysterically called out to his dad. "Dad! Don't do this, please! Anything but this! Please!"

On the opposite side of the wall, Jules pulled out his flask from his pocket and downed the alcoholic contents in seconds. He dropped to the floor, clinging to his beverage container, painfully sobbing against his knees as he endured his son's pounding against the door and harrowed cries.

* * *

His torture continued daily, for ninety days. His fear of water used against him. With every failed polygraph, he was back in the chamber, fearful and hopeless.

And yet, his torture was modified.

If he wasn't forced into the darkness, he was placed under a shower. Luxury, it was not. The temperature of the water reached either extreme; either scalding him, or jumping his heart from the brittle coldness.

All of the father's affliction was deprived of the metaphoric belief. To rinse out the corruption that held his son to his daughter. Rid him of the taint, and he would be cured.

But to the father's dismay, Sonic prevailed. Mastering his ability to lie.

Every punishment allowed him to train himself to control his heart rate. To control his emotions over fear and anxiety. He bore through the pain of each method used against him and became immune to it's power.

And on the ninetieth polygraph, he passed the test with a straight baseline. He was free of the torture, of his father's conditioning.

While maintaining the love he held for the man's daughter.

"I'm proud of you, Sonic." Jules said, leaving the boy to enjoy his flight back to Central City.

Smiling at his father as he walked passed him. Sonic took in the view of the serene blue sky above the autumn clouds from the comfort of plush seat. He lifted his glove hand and placed it against the window, the slight patch of darkened skin on sight.

Sonic sighed and retracted his hand from the window. Looking down at his glove hand, he carefully peeled off the accessory and gazed at his hand; his skin was the appearance of coal, darkened and coarse to the touch. While the skin held potential to heal, the scars of his electrical burns were to be permanent.

He covered his hand and focused his sights back to the window. In the far distance, he could see the Central City airport runway.

"Heh!" He beamed. After seven years, he was finally home. "I'm coming, Ames."


	9. What We Longed For

Chapter Nine: What We Have Longed For

The indistinguishable winter breeze greeted him on his departure from the military jet. A sense of familiarity to the world he had left behind.

Above his head flew a flock of flicky birds. A family of pink, blue and green; flying south to a warmer region. He smiled, their colours resonating with his own family. As he watched them fly over him, he hoped their adventure would bring them as much happiness as his own adventure was to bring him.

"Baby!" He heard a comforting voice call to him. Spinning on the heel of his shining shoes, he witnessed his mother running towards him.

Elated, Sonic dashed down the steps of the airstair and stopped at the end of the steps to be welcomed by his mother. Open armed and bearing a joyous smile, Aleena threw her arms around his shoulders and embraced her son. His own arms instinctively wrapped around her, years of comfort and nurturing he had been stripped of being reimbursed in one tight hug.

"Oh, my Baby Blue." She spoke with high emotion, verging on tears. She stepped back from him and brought her hands to his cheeks. "Look how tall you are! The last time I held you, I had to kneel down..."

Her smile had lessened. Holding more bittersweet than previously. Her eyes glazed from her sorrowful unfulfillment as his mother. So many birthdays, so many milestones missed. Those precious moments she never got to experience with her boy.

The mother blinked away her tears, determined to show only happiness around her eldest on his return. "Ugh, and look how handsome you've grown to be."

Sonic hung his head low and shook it with embarrassment, grinning through his light blush on his cheeks. "You haven't changed a bit, Mum." She smiled at his comment, relieved to provide some familiarity of her own for him.

He briefly smiled back at his mother before focusing his attention on his welcome party approaching him: His siblings; Manic and Sonia and Uncle Chuck. The most desired guest was nowhere to be seen. His facial muscles drooped, momentarily exposing his disappointment. Even after all he had suffered, they were still kept at a safe distance.

How naive of him to believe he had paid for his forbidden love.

His sister was the first to approach him. Her quills bouncing effortlessly with every step she took. They appeared longer than his own, the tips dyed a lighter pink, much like her descending locks falling over her emerald eyes.

The heels to her purple and red boots clicked obnoxiously loud against the concrete beneath their feet. A dramatised entrance to greet her brother. Her features were disgruntled. Exaggerated with a bumptious attitude. "Sonic..." She said, unperturbed by his presence.

"Sonia..." Sonic replied with the same attitude, crossing his arms and frowning at the girl.

Their little act of indifference slowly diminished as the corners of their lips formed into smirks. Both laughing along with one another, a handshake was exchanged between the siblings, followed by a hug.

"Good to see you, brother." Sonia smiled to the blue hedgehog on exiting the embrace.

"Wish I could say the same for you." He teased, grinning menacingly back at her.

His comment landed him a punch to the arm. "Idiot." She laughed. "Can't you be nice for one minute?"

"Ugh but that's such a long time for a speed king like me. I can do ten seconds for ya."

"Go on..."

Becoming more sentimental with his demeanour, Sonic stared sincerely at his sister. "I really did miss you, Sonia."

"Aw. I missed you too, Dork."

"I thought we were being nice?"

"That was nice. I was gonna call you far worse names."

Laughing at their banter, Sonic soon turned his attention to his brother. The green hedgehog walked over to the three hedgehogs, hands in his vest pockets.

"S'up, Man." Sonic greeted his brother. A fist bump and a brotherly hug were exchanged. "Nice sleeve." Sonic complimented his brother's disapproved body art covering his arm.

"Thanks, Bro. I can hit you up with your own if you want."

"To hell you will." Aleena intervened, placing her hands on her hips and scowling at her younger son. Her unwanted comment left Manic rolling his eyes at her.

Wanting to avoid a potential scolding in the middle of the runway, Sonic quickly changed the topic of conversation. "You been good?" He asked his brother.

"As much as I can be without Mum breathing down my neck..." He peered over his shoulder at the discontented mother shaking her head towards him.

A nagging irritation towards his brother couldn't be denied. The life he had lead had been opulent compared to his own. He was nurtured in the comforts of their family home, in his own room, surrounded by those who truly loved him. More importantly, he had been exempted from the abuse of their father. He was pretty certain that Manic, even Sonia, were completely unaware of what their dad was capable of.

While he couldn't determine what exactly caused Manic to become so rebellious and distant towards their mother, he couldn't help but view the boy's attitude as ungrateful privilege.

"How about you? What's it like to be the big-shot hero?"

"Can't say it's all it's cracked up to be." Sonic shrugged. "Eh. I guess smashing Egg-Butt's robots makes it all worth it."

"Egg-Butt?" Manic raised an eyebrow quizzically.

"Robotnik. Y'know, because he's shaped like an egg?"

"Ahh..." Manic laughed. "Nice. Does he know you call him that?"

"Oh yeah. 'Egg-Butt', 'Egg-Breath', 'Eggman'."

"Think I'm gonna have to steal 'Eggman' from you. Classic." He gave his brother another fist bump. "So, how's my baby?". He couldn't help but smirk at the blue hedgehog's horrified expression. He must have taken the word 'baby' rather literal. "I'm talking about the Stormer. Is she running alright?"

"Like a dream. Not that I drive it- her, much. It's mainly Dad and McGrath that drive her around."

"Ah... Guess I'll ask him about it then..." Manic nodded unenthusiastically. He could already predict the reaction of his father; little interest for the technical talk and a quick change of conversation. It was their regular form of communication; Attempt, fail and move on. To capture his attention would be as miraculous as the chaos emeralds themselves.

"Alright, Manic. You've had your moment with the famous hero, it's my turn to be starstruck." Chuck teased his nephew. Though slightly irked by his uncle's joke, Manic stepped aside and allowed the man to welcome Sonic back. "What's with you boys making me look short, eh? You've gotta be running on stilts, aren't you?"

"That wouldn't be a pretty sight." Sonic chuckled. "Looking good, Chuck. Lovin' the facial hair." He said, referring to the bushy moustache accumulating beneath the man's nose.

"Giving that Robotnik some competition in a way I can keep up. Oh, my mistake. What is it I heard you call him? Eggman?"

"You guessed it."

"Ha! Beautiful. I hope you've been giving that egg a few beatings?"

"Scrambled with a side of toast." Sonic grinned.

"Haha! You little brawler. You make me so proud." Chuck cheered, wrapping his arm around the boy's shoulders.

Standing beside his sister, Manic rolled his eyes to the praise his older brother was receiving before his eyes caught sight of his father leaving the jet. He found himself awestruck. A common symptom he faced when seeing his father every summer throughout his adolescence. The man he looked up to, aspired to impress, was now home. At long last.

"Daddy!" Sonia cheered, rushing up the steps to her dad. The man's eyes fell on his daughter, bringing a bright smile to his face.

"Princess." Jules beamed, grabbing the girl and spinning her around on the spot. His daughter laughed gleefully in his arms, bringing herself to wrap her arms tightly around his neck upon being placed on the ground. "How's my precious Daughter?"

"Happier now that you're back." She replied, resting her head against her father's shoulder.

Placing a kiss on the girl's forehead, Jules walked down the steps with his daughter, towards his waiting family. He stopped in front of his wife, neither saying a word to each other. The silence was filled with varying emotions and suggestive words. None of which were expressed.

"Hello, Sweetness." Jules finally said, flashing a mild smile at the woman.

Her response came with action rather than words. With little time to act, the general was pulled into a loving embrace and met with impassioned kiss. Surely startled yet quickly recovered, he returned her passion, wrapping his arms around her waist.

"Eugh..." Sonic muttered, looking away in disgust. His siblings followed suit.

"That is not something I need to see right after breakfast." Chuck stated, turning around like his niece and nephews.

Ending the torture of their family, the couple broke their kiss and held one another ardently. "You have no idea how long I've wanted to do that." Aleena said alluringly.

"I'm gonna go with the guess of seven years?" Jules grinned, bringing his nose to nuzzle with hers.

"Seven _long_ years." She corrected him.

"I'll make it up to you." He charmed her, bringing their lips into another passionate fondling.

The uncomfortable sounds of lips smacking and flirtatious giggling left their family nauseated.

"Do you two really need to act like you're teenagers, in front of your own teenaged children?" Chuck questioned, his nausea becoming more severe as he turned to face their public affection.

The final grotesque sound of their parting lips ended their children's suffering. However, the unamused husband glared at his older brother, not appreciating his interruption. "Is it wrong for my kids to know how much I love their mother?"

"If you need to show them by doing _that_ , yeah it is."

Holding his firm gaze to his brother, Jules soon broke his poised silence and laughed. "Come here, you hog." He pulled the man into a hug, an exchange of joyfully forceful slaps to the back from either side; a love-hate affection.

"Still sporting that dangling phallus on your head, I see? Proving yourself to be the definition of a dick-head."

His sons roared into fits of laughter from the remark. They were soon forced to look away and stifle their laughter by their unamused father's glare. "Heh, and we're not gonna talk about that bush on your face? Is that supposed to be a substitute for the lack of cunts your delving into?"

"Boys!" Aleena shrieked at the men. "Do not speak such vulgar language in front of the children."

Both alarmed by her outburst, Chuck quickly recovered and laughed at his younger brother's submissive head bow towards his wife. "They're hardly children anymore, Ally. They've likely had their share of indulgence already."

Making themselves appear oblivious, the teenagers avoided their mother's gaze as she turned back to them. Shaking the thought aside, Aleena linked her arm with her husband and held out her hand to Sonic. "Anyway, now that you're both finally home, we should celebrate!"

"What about Amy?" Chuck pointed out. "I'm surprised she didn't show up. She and Sonic used to be so close."

Another uncomfortable silence fell between the three hedgehogs; Mother and father looking deadpanned towards the uncle and Sonic remaining stoic.

"Uh, she went to her training session early this morning." Sonia informed her uncle, baffled by her parents' and brother's reaction. "To be honest, I don't even think she knows you're back, Sonic." She giggled innocently.

Chuck raised his eyebrow at his brother and his wife, bemused to discover they'd informed only two out of the three children at home about the hero's return.

"Eh." Sonic shrugged, walking up to his mother and linking his arm with hers. "I'll see her a little later. No biggie."

His parents nodded back at him, pleased by his attitude to not seeing his sister. "Maybe we should go out for lunch? My treat? It'll be good for you to indulge on some proper food, Sonic." Jules said.

"Nonsense!" Aleena shook her head. "He's not had a home cooked meal in years!" She turned to her eldest child and shown her undying love for him through a prideful smile. "You'll have Mummy's cooking, Dearest."

Sonic smiled back at her, slightly discomforted by her cooing and mollycoddling. He figured it was a side effect to his father's rash decision to have him separated from her. To her, he was still that nine year old boy, weeping and clinging to her coat for her nurture.

To provide her some consolation, he would play along. "Thanks, Mum. If you want, I could help? It'll be like old times."

Ah, she remembered it well. Her children surrounding her in the kitchen, each having their own station to help her bake various confectioneries. How her son used to speed his way to the bowl of cake batter and digest the majority of it before his siblings had a chance. Those chaotic days of screaming children and a rambunctious, little Sonic... Where had the time gone?

A single tear fell from her right eye, falling onto her delighted smile. "That would be wonderful."

Heading into the airport, the family walked in a pack passed the other travelling Mobians. However, slightly out of sync from the group, Manic watched from behind. He ogled his older brother gaining all the positive attention from their parents; laughing and reminiscing without a care in the world. He also noticed Sonia and Chuck engaging in a jolly conversation.

His family never failed to remind him of his place; The shadow in the back. Silent and unnoticed, left to handle the neglect in a way he saw fit. Why would they need to care for his needs? Why would they have to acknowledge him as an individual, a separate being from his siblings?

Especially when they had the majestic Sonic The Hedgehog as the perfect, captivating son with supernatural speed.

Some things just never changed. Far apart or reunited, Sonic was just too immaculate to surpass in his parents' eyes.

Particularly his father's.

But a flicker of hope shortly followed his doubt. His father had turned back to look at him, possibly realising he had forgotten to acknowledge him back on the runway. He saw the man fiddle with his coat before walking back towards him. His incoming presence once again leaving him wonderstruck.

"Hey, Man? Why don't you wear this?" He suggested, taking off his coat and placing it on his son's shoulders. "You know your mother doesn't approve of those tattoos you've gotten."

His expression showed his devastation. His tattoos had been a symbol of his desire for individuality. To have something that was his own; that would be noticed.

To hide them would be to conceal himself further into the shadows.

"I'll give you the money to have them removed." He smiled at his son, believing he had the solution to the problem.

By sorting out his wife's issue with their son's tattoos, he had unintentionally inflicted more damage onto his boy.

Dallying in his actions, Manic slowly put on the trench coat, holding the elbow of his decorated arm. He lowered his head, shamefaced.

"Looks good on you." Jules smiled, clueless to his son's inner depression. Patting the boy's shoulders, he walked back to his wife and eldest child.

He found himself stopping in the middle of the airport, watching his family walk away from him, unaware of his lack of presence entirely. Looking down to his covered arm, the teen gripped the covering tightly. His identity rejected, he held back his emotions and casted them in the collective gathering in his darkened mind.

Preparing for another fixture.

* * *

_You probably need me just as much as I need you._

Bouncing on her heel to every beat that played into her ears, the pink hedgehog walked leisurely down the sidewalk; gym bag balanced on her shoulder and earphones successfully blocking out the outside world. In her daily walks to and from her training at Central City HQ, she would tune out of reality and allow the music to lift her into the clouds. Away from the horrendous reality that was her heartbreak.

Beneath the surface of her calm, bubbly nature, she had been hurting, immensely. Her decision to stop her shameful yearning for the blue hedgehog had left her emotionally wounded, so lost and bereaved. He had been everything she had known, everything she envisioned for herself.

But he had proven she meant nothing to him.

All those years of contacting him and not a single sign of her love being reciprocated. She wasn't even worth a few words; one word in fact.

And to think of all the time and effort she had wasted on him made her feel like the biggest fool of them all. The blind fool who had written with an open heart, who had bared herself for his pleasure. He must've thought she was laughable.

He wouldn't have been wrong if that had been his thought process. They weren't kids anymore. They couldn't blame their behaviour on naivety or some sort of phase. They were both teenagers, possessed understanding of right and wrong. And what they did; what she did, was deplorable.

By law, he was her brother. And by law and practically every moral dictated just how wrong their relationship had been...

So why couldn't she stop thinking about him?

It sickened her. Clouded her in her shame. Even when she knew what was right, she still clinged to the fact that they were not blood related. He had always told her the only thing stopping them was a piece of paper. She often reminded herself of that fact too.

No matter her resistance to her feelings, she still held her love for her beloved.

_We are free to get whatever that we want to have_

_(We're also free to do whatever we want)_

The teenaged girl shook her head to her burdening thoughts. She had more important things to think about than her love for Sonic. As one of the top fighters in Eurish, she had to be at the top of her game if she wanted to make the top Heroes' Cut.

She had lives to avenge. To serve justice for those who could not defend themselves. Her mother, father, her brother Samuel, Roger... Only to name a few. With her speed, acrobatic skills and her might with the Piko-Piko Hammer, they would have their redemption.

"Sweet, sweet you're so sweet." She sang to herself, walking up to path to her home. She acknowledged the family car on the driveway. Her mother was home from work already?

Shrugging off the early return, Amy made her way to the front door and took out her keys, humming the tune to the song she had been singing. Unlocking the door, she called out to her mother.

"I'm back, Mum." She hollered monotonously, pulling out her earphones and hearing her mother insist she head into the kitchen. "I'll do it later!" She answered back, her response being a mismatch to her mother's demand.

She ignored her heavy insistence, making her way straight up the stairs for a hot shower.

"Now, now, Amy. You should really listen to your mother..." Her father's voice came from the bottom of the stairs. Stunned on the spot, the girl slowly turned around to see her dad leaning against the bannister, smiling back at her.

"D-dad?" She gasped, bewildered and dazed to see him. The shock gradually faded with every step before she ran down the stairs and jumped on the man with euphoric felicity. "Dad!" She cried, dangling off the ground, in her father's arms.

"Aw, my little petal. I've missed you so much." Jules said gleefully. Placing her back on the last step, he lightly touched her cheek, examining her maturing features. "My little girl isn't so little anymore..." His pride blooming at her sweet smile. "It's like I blinked and you blossomed before I could open my eyes again... I-" He sighed, looking down solemnly with guilt. "I am sorry to have missed out on all those years."

"Don't be sorry." She assured him. "Because of your sacrifice, we have lived in peace. Central City is in your debt."

"Eh..." He chuckled softly, humbled by her adoration. "Maybe for my execution, but Sonic's the one on the battlefield most of the time."

The realisation caused her eyes to sparkle with euphoria. If her father home after his three-months additional training with Sonic... Could it be?

Her ears detected light footing coming out from the kitchen and into the hallway. They echoed through her being, giving her heart a new beat to sing. Turning her head towards the sound, her lips parted in awe, her feminine features quickly following her stupor.

The severed bonds of their past entwined, weaving threads strengthened by devoted fibres that formed the seam to their illicit love; creating a patchwork to wrap around her wounded heart and bringing forth the repented urges out of the rippling pools of logic.

She was besotted.

He had been blessed by Chaos itself with bewitching attraction. From sun soaked skin, to pearl white teeth. A physical form to inspire, to possibly envy.

And his personal style only added to his irresistible charm. His quills became less maintained with their impressive length, sprouting smaller spines; symbolising his adventurous flare. The sports tape and neckerchief endorsing his daring personality.

The girl swallowed hard, her throat discovered to have dried up at his radiance. Mesmerised in her staring, she failed to notice her own footing and stumbled off the final step. She slipped, falling into her father's arms.

"Everything alright, Amy?" Jules questioned her, gradually getting the girl back onto her feet.

"Y-yeah." She breathed out. Her vocabulary abruptly became limited, partially senseless without much control to recover. With little fault, she remained powerless to her hazy, ditsy performance.

"S'up?" Sonic waved to the pink hedgehog, bearing his cocky smirk.

Without a word, Jules walked back into the living room, taking a seat the armchair, beside his brother on the sofa.

Leaving his daughter to carry her own weight while talking to his son.

"Long time no see, Rose." Sonic said quietly. His eyes sweeping a brief scan of her.

The girl he had grown up with had undergone an enthralling transformation, unrecognisable on first sight. Her quills, once sharing a similar style to his own, now fell to her shoulders. An adorably graceful appearance.

He dared to slow his eyes at her attire. Fashioning a red dress, buttoned in gold on the left side, was binded at her waist with a lavender sarashi. He took that detail in, the little feature reminding him of her exposed curves in her former birthday pictures given to him. Rounded, perfectly rounded.

The purple sports tape was better presented than his own. Her delicate nature still a big part of her personality. He was happy to know she had completely changed since their last encounter.

Her greeting refused to come out in words. Still dazed, she managed to stare blankly at him, taking in every small detail of him as though it would be her last time to see him.

"You've changed your hairstyle..." He pointed out.

"Huh?" She brought herself back to reality, moderately lethargic from her lovestruck condition. Her hair? Ah, that was right. He hadn't seen the new change. "Oh, uh, yeah. I, um... fancied a change."

His curiosity to her hair had caught her unguarded. Countless times she had envisioned his return; their first meeting. How he would pull her into his arms, dip her back and they'd share a kiss existing on inflamed emotions.

Rather than her ridiculous blundering and his strictly platonic approach.

Was she missing something?

Smiling back at her, Sonic gave her a thumbs up. "It suits ya." He complimented her, flashing a fleeting wink. With their pleasantries out of the way, Sonic span on his heel and walked back to the kitchen, leaving her astonished and deeply perplexed.

What had happened to him? To them?

Her eyes, starved of blinking, poured out her tears. They fell over her jittering lips and blended into her pink fur around her neck, darkening the areas she longed for him to remove the pain with his delicate kisses.

...

That was her brother.

He was treating her as his sister. She should've been happy. Happy that he had accepted her truth in the letter she had sent. Happy that they had both moved on from their childish fantasies...

So why was her heart riving all over again?

Forcefully wiping the tears from her eyes, the pink girl darted up the steps and into her bedroom, slamming the door harshly behind her.

The slam grabbed the attention of her family. From the kitchen and living room, they looked up towards the ceiling, jumped by the teenager's sudden mood swing.

"Wha'cha say this time?" Sonia raised an eyebrow to her brother. "You know her banter with you isn't as brutal as ours."

Sonic shrugged, smiling sheepishly. "I said her hairstyle suited her."

"You're a monster." Manic teased.

"That's all you said?" Jules asked, partially astounded by his daughter's sudden temper. He held his gaze at the blue teen in the kitchen. Was her reaction something to do with their relationship?

Noticing the man's gaze, a pang of nerves struck his heart. Nevertheless, his features never showed his emotions. He grinned mischievously, shortly chuckling in the same manner. "I might've said she looked like one of those possessed dolls in horror movies..."

"Sonic!" Sonia gasped, she and Manic unintentionally laughing to the insult.

"Oh, c'mon. I can't be the only one who thinks that?" He laughed with his siblings, his mother's disappointed face only adding to his laughter.

"Sonic. You better apologise when she eventually gets over it." His mother scolded him.

"Pfft, you mean _if_ she gets over it. You think I'm petty? One time, she didn't speak to me for three weeks! All because I spilt my drink on some letter she was writing." Sonia scoffed at her sister's ability to hold grudges.

Sonic smiled awkwardly. One of the particular letters for him, no doubt. "She's fine. I'll tell her I'm sorry when dinner's ready." He turned to his mother and picked up a cooking apple. "So, what was it we're making again? Apple pie?"

Smiling back at her son, Aleena lightly stroked his cheek before taking the apple from his hand. "Yes, dear."

The blue hedgehog made himself busy, successfully losing the suspicion of his father.

And distracted himself from the captured beauty of his lover.

* * *

The beating water against her bare form soothed gently with it's mellow hushing. Subtle enough to provide her comfort, loud enough to drown her sobs.

This confusion was an eternal torment. If she wasn't confused by her own emotions towards the blue hero before, she definitely was now.

She was astonished by her inability to keep her calm around him. As though she hadn't spent weeks convincing herself of what was right and what was wrong. As if she hadn't spoken to herself through her reflection, telling herself exactly what she had to do when she eventually met her brother again.

On sight, she immediately fell back into her ways; compelled by her infatuation with the boy who she was forced to call her brother.

No... Forced was not the right term. He was her brother... **is** her brother. That fact couldn't be changed. Her emotions couldn't change that fact.

But she could change herself to stop feeling for her brother, right?

Seven years of change didn't seem to make that solution possible.

Change came to Sonic rather than her.

... Or had it?

He winked at her. A cheeky, one-eyed gesture. Did that mean anything? A signal of some kind? What if his introduction had been a cover up in front of their family?

And what was with the name change? Rose? He had never called her by her real name before. He had said it soft enough to be unnoticed by their dad.

Why?

Were these all signs to his unchanging heart? Was he still holding onto her?

Or perhaps she was grasping onto the past. Clinging to her wants rather than her needs. Sonic had moved on from his childhood endeavours. It was about time she did the same.

Sighing to herself, she turned off the shower and stepped out onto the small, round, beige rug decorating the tiled bathroom floor. Feet adequately dried, she placed them into her purple fluffy slippers and yanked her matching purple towel in a fractious manner from the towel rack, wrapping her body in the warmed fabric.

The door swung open, releasing the built up stream, the heat grabbed the attention of the blue hedgehog who had been standing outside the bathroom, waiting patiently for her to exit.

"You got your own personal sauna in there?"

Completely unsuspecting of his presence, the girl gasped, jumping backwards instinctively. Her footing had not prepared for her movement, resulting in her slipping out of one of her slippers. She fell backwards, her body never making it to the ground.

"Whoa." Sonic dashed forward and grabbed her waist with one arm. He secured her safely in his arm, holding her in the slanted position. "It's hard to believe you used to be a ballerina with all this falling you're doing." He smirked.

"S-Sonic..." Amy breathed out, instantly falling back to her daze. A rose hue painted her cheeks, deepening to see his eyes glance downward in a sweeping motion.

Pulling the girl back onto her feet, Sonic smiled and stepped aside, allowing her to walk passed him to head to her bedroom, gesturing politely to her bedroom door.

As before, she tried to bring herself out of her stupor, her bottom lip quivering in her attempts. A shuttering breath was the only sound she could muster.

Earning an equally soundless chuckle from the thief to her heart.

She caught his eyes wandering once more, giving little effort to be furtive with his eyeballing. His gaze had forced her to look down at herself. To her horror, her stumbling had loosened her covering, exposing her pelvis ever so slightly. Clearing her throat, Amy gripped onto the joining of her towel and briskly walked passed him.

His eyes still lingered on her. She could feel the two emeralds glistening onto her partial exposure... She liked it. Even with logic bellowing into her mind to stop providing him with a spectacle, his desire for her made her slow down her movements and look back at him over her shoulder.

Yep. Still staring. No shame in his actions.

... So his feelings did remain?

Smiling bashfully at the blue hedgehog, Amy continued her walk back to her bedroom, looking back at him once more before closing the door. Placing herself against the back of her door, she giggled with gratification. That had to have been a sign. He still loved her.

...

But he was her brother...

No, _is_ her brother.

Why was she endorsing his behaviour? She had made it very clear in her letter that she was over their childhood antics. It was time to be responsible and stop this nonsense.

Besides, after the rumours going around HQ between Sonic and Sally, she couldn't allow herself to get sucked in again, only to find out he was caught up in some entanglement with her, she would be left to pick up the pieces to her broken heart with no support to get through it.

Repeating her seven year long history all over again.

But that wasn't going to happen anyway. Because Sonic was her brother and normal people did not fall for their brothers.

Pulling herself off the door, Amy walked over to her drawer of clothes, preparing to fulfill her usual routine of dressing comfortably when in the house; oversized t-shirt and shorts, possible knee-high socks to combat the coldness.

Taking out a red and white t-shirt and red shorts, the teen looked at herself in the full length mirror. She groaned. This was the first time she had seen Sonic in seven years... she couldn't possibly allow him to see her dressed like a slob.

This called for a more... extravagant outfit.

For special occasion purposes.

She quickly placed her pyjamas back in the drawer and rushed over to her wardrobe, scanning her outfits for the best set of clothing. Her eyes soon fell on her red halter neck top with a white skater skirt hung up beneath. The perfectly casual outfit with a mature flare.

As she pulled out the outfit and placed it over her body, in front of the mirror, she grinned at the thought of the spinning head of the blue hedgehog.

... Just to see his face. Nothing more.

Discarding her towel onto her bed, Amy got to work on her appearance, the determination to see his face motivating her through her efforts.

And provide him with the beauty of the girl he left behind.

* * *

The assortment of dishes were spread across the table. The main dish replacing the floral centerpiece that originally decorated the family eating area. A bowl of salad, another for homemade, garlic roast potatoes and a plate of bread sat either side of Aleena's meal to Sonic and her family. A meal made out of love and lost time.

"Come sit, everyone. Don't want it getting cold." Aleena cheerfully called her family to the meal. Sat either end of the table were the parents. Besides Jules, sat Manic and Chuck on either side. Sonia took her seat next to her uncle, leaving Sonic to sit beside his mother. She patted his hand gently as he sat, oblivious to his faint wince at her touch to his burns.

"This looks delicious, Aleena." Chuck complimented his sister in law. "What's in it?" He examined the main dish with hungry eyes.

"It's creamy, chilli mac and cheese. Sonic's favourite. He would always ask for this when he was little." Aleena smiled proudly at her eldest child, lifting the spatula to cut into the oozing topping of cheese.

"I thought your favourite meal was a chilli dog?" Jules turned his head to Sonic, leaving him partially flustered.

The hero looked up to his mother as she stood over him, bearing down a look of surprise. He smiled bashfully. "Uh, well it is... But I still love mum's mac and cheese." He attempted to reassure his mother with childhood memories. "I used to run down everyday when you started making dinner just to ask if you were making it."

Giggling to the days of old, the purple hedgehog began to cut the meal into portions. "I remember it all too well." She sighed, remembering the long period of time she'd taken to make the meal again after his absence. The dish had lost it's renown once he was gone.

The meal was happily served amongst the family members at the table, each plate being filled with the side dishes to choose from. Two plates beside Manic momentarily remained empty. The plate closest to Manic receiving a serving of chili mac and cheese for the missing family member.

"Sonia, be a dear and let Amy know her meal is ready-"

"AMY! GET DOWN HERE NOW!"

Slowly turning to her daughter, Aleena frowned at the girl, her eyes scornfully squinting. "I meant you should go and get her..."

"She responds faster to yelling. Especially when there's an insult added in. Watch." Turning back towards the hall, Sonia called out to Amy once more. "AMY. WE DON'T WANT TO WAIT FOR THE OUTCAST!"

"Do you always have to prove that the only way you remain significant in this family is to shout?" Amy glared at her sister as she walked through the living room, into the kitchen. She took her seat next to Manic, paying no mind to the people around her.

Including the puzzled stare from her father and the vexed leering from her sister. "Why are you dressed up?" Sonia furrowed her brows in curiosity.

Shining back a quizzical look, Amy acted oblivious to her efforts. "I'm not..."

"Uh, yeah you are. As part owner to our bedroom, I know for a fact that you're usual attire of oversized tees and shorts have been replaced." The girl leaned forward slightly, taking notice of her sister's red earrings. "... Are you wearing my earrings?"

"These are _my_ earrings that I've taken back from you." Amy smugly smiled.

"And you've taken _my_ necklace?"

"As interest for keeping my earrings for so long."

Flabbergasted and displeased, Sonia looked to her mother. "Mum!" She groaned, expecting her mother to jump in and defend her.

Stepping in to settle the girls, Jules looked back and forth at both of them. "Girls, please. Your mother's gone to great lengths to make this meal for us. Be civil." He turned his head to Amy. "Honey, please give back the necklace. While you're at it, go and put a jumper on or something."

Amy stared down at her attire, feeling humiliated for her choice of clothing. The red halter neck with a deep V-shaped neckline hugged to her body snugly. Her white skirt, pleated and flared, exposed her long legs. Such a body hugging, pelt exposing outfit was not approved by her father.

She looked up at the blue teenager, desiring to see his approval and acceptance of her clothing.

His reaction was opposite. Indifferent and aloof, he looked over to her, showing his lack of interest; lips turned into a frown, eyes barely open enough to focus. He leaned back in his chair and fiddled with his communicator, ignorant to the scene happening around him.

To see his reaction only made her feel more foolish. This look had been for him. For his approval. His discernment left her questioning what she had seen outside the bathroom. Had he really checked her out? Had she imagined it all?

Turning back to her dad, she witnessed his eyebrows raise, awaiting for her to comply. With nobody speaking up to defend her, the pink hedgehog scoffed. She removed the necklace and threw it onto the table before storming out of the kitchen. Her footsteps vibrated the stairs in her rage towards her bedroom.

"No stomping!" Jules shouted to the teen. He turned his attention to his unimpressed brother, seeing him shaking his head. "What?"

"I get that it's winter, but it's not exactly cold in here." Chuck stated.

Realising Chuck's indirect insult to his parenting, Jules glowering at the man beside him. "She's a fifteen year old girl. She shouldn't be dressed like prowler on the street."

Sonia leaned back in her chair, bewildered by her dad's obscene description of Amy's attire. She turned to her mother, expecting her to object to his comment. Much like Sonic, Aleena turned her head. A questionable reaction from her.

"Wow... Okay..." Chuck breathed out. Hoping to keep the atmosphere a good one, he looked to Sonic and smiled. "So, Sonic. You got any stories to share with us? Being the Hero of Eurish must have some great tales."

With a grin, Sonic looked to his uncle. "There's quite a few. It ain't easy to find a dull moment with that bald head flying around."

"Oh, tell them about the time he released that Octopus Bot on you." Jules said excitedly.

"You mean that lousy Octobot with the mechanical tentacles?" Sonic chuckled. "That was the quickest battle on record!"

"Not to mention the coolest! Robotnik was all like 'You'll never get pass my Octobot!'. Then Sonic just swoops in, spin dashed all over the place to confuse the fifteen metre tin can. Then Sonic jumped on the Octobot's head and made it's tentacle slam into it's wiring. It explodes. **BOOM**! And the day is saved."

Sonic's grin wobbled in his surprise. His father had spoken so passionately about his work, moreso than he had ever expressed to him. It was a shock to see him talk of him so proudly to others. A refreshing kind of surprise.

"I remember that battle..." Manic commented, grating his fork against his plate. "That was during the summer when Tails and I perfected our war machine... We used it to finish off the rest of Robotnik's goons."

"Ah, yeah. What's the name again?" Jules pondered. "It's on the tip of my tongue..."

"... The Stormer?" Manic answered for him, becoming increasingly impassive towards his dad's precarious memory.

"That was it! Heh, you'd think I'd remember the name what with driving it around so often." He laughed.

"Yeah... You'd think." He slouched in his chair and dug deeper into the plate with his cutlery. One of his greatest achievements had been that war machine. At the age of fourteen, he had created a new alloy material to combat Robotnik's army, he had created advanced artillery and armour for the military. Most importantly, invented one of the ultimate military vehicles to take down Robotnik without the help of special talents and the power of Chaos.

And that could never compare to his brother smashing a few robots by slamming his body against them.

"Easy with the fork there, Manic. Plates aren't free, y'know?" His father lectured him, subsequently increasing his irritation.

Falsifying his alarm on his communicator, Manic looked down at the device and quickly made his getaway. "I gotta go to training. " He lied, getting up from his seat.

"Right now?" Aleena gasped in horror. "B-but your father and brother are back for the first time in seven years! Can't you miss it for one day?"

"I checked your schedule." Jules said, looking up at his son. "Your training isn't for another two days."

"It changed." He answered back abruptly. Placing his hands in his pockets, he headed towards the living room to get to the hallway.

"I bet he's going to meet one of his girlfriends." Sonia whispered to Sonic.

"How many are we talking?" Sonic's brief astonishment shortly changed to amusement.

"Good question." Sonia pretended to be confused before calling to Manic. "Hey, Man? Which girl is it this time? Morganna? Staci? Or Kelsey?" She turned back to Sonic with a smirk. "He likes Kelsey a lot. I think she must be his favourite."

"Nunya!" They heard Manic say from the hallway.

"Huh? Nunya?" Sonia raised an eyebrow and turned towards the kitchen door leading to the hallway. She saw her brother standing there, looking embarrassed and hot-tempered.

"Yeah. Short for none of ya business." He said. Power walking to the door, the green hedgehog paid no mind to his sister coming down the stairs and made his way out of the house, slamming the front door behind him.

Rolling her eyes to her brother's typical behaviour, Amy entered the kitchen again with a red jacket covering her upper body.

Jules nodded approvingly. "That's better, sweetie." He said, earning a false smile from his youngest child.

"Speaking of girls by the way... What's this rumour going round about you and Sally?" Sonia grinned, leaning close to the blue hedgehog in order to catch him off guard. Her question had successfully left him blushing, his eyes widening.

It had also captured Amy attention. She sat back in her seat, her eyes remaining low, her ears high.

The uncomfortable boy attempted to avoid eye contact from his mother and Amy. "It was nothing!" He proclaimed, his eyes momentarily looking over to Amy, guilt consuming them. "Nothing happened between us."

"Nothing serious anyway." Jules butted in, not looking up from his meal.

"We really don't need to be talking about Sonic's personal life..." Aleena insisted, reassuring her son with her hand placed upon his. Shuddering lightly to the searing pain, Sonic forced a smile back at her.

His golden eyes peered over to his youngest daughter. Suspicion of her emotions towards his son had left him surveying both his children's behaviour throughout the day. With Amy's stumbling and showy dressing, he dreaded the worse from her.

To ensure no more emotions lay for her brother, he would shut the possibility down. Keeping his head down and indulging in his meal, he explained the situation, ensuring his daughter was listening.

"Nah, it's alright. It's an indecent rumour that needs to be put to an end. Sonic and I have spoken about it, and we've agreed to not let it damage his reputation as the Hero of Eurish."

The spines of the hero gradually raised to accompany his anxiety. Whatever his dad was planning to say could damage his attempts to reconcile with the pink hedgehog sat across the table from him. Bringing his eyes to look at the girl, he noticed her sour lips thinning in her jealousy, nose wrinkled with disdain. Her letter regarding her feelings towards was proving to be fraudulent from her envy.

Depending on his dad's story, it could certainly change her emotions, for the worst, in a heartbeat.

"To answer your question, Sonia. He is in a relationship with Sally. It was a bit of a shock to witness their romance form, but Sally is a nice girl. She's smart, sensible and has an attitude to keep Sonic grounded. I think she'll be ideal as the woman behind the hero."

She could feel the struggle her eyes were enduring to hold back her tears. The rumours she had heard from the other heroes were true. His reasons for not replying back to her all those times was because he was involved with Sally. He should've known he wouldn't have waited long before he found someone else to entertain him.

She clicked her tongue, scornful eyes eying him up. Her piercing eyes weakened his act. Hopelessly guilty emeralds flashed back at her, powerless before their family to correct his father's lies. Conquered, the blue teen slumped against his chair, for a moment, allowing his emotions to show.

"Aw. Congrats, Sonic." Sonia cooed, pulling her brother into a hug. "You two are so cute together!"

"Uh... Thanks..." He smiled through his turmoil.

"As long as you know how to treat a woman, unlike your brother, I'm happy for you, dear." Aleena smiled at the hero.

"I hope she makes you happy." Amy said, smiling aggressively back at her brother.

"What's got you so aggressive?" Sonia scoffed at her sister before reassuring her brother. "Ignore her. She's jealous that she has nobody."

"Hm. That's what you think." Amy muttered before drinking from her glass.

Letting out an exaggerated gasp, Sonia leaned over the table. "What?! You're seeing someone?! And you didn't tell me?!"

"Oh-ho. This dinner is just getting more interesting." Chuck laughed.

Standing up from her seat, Amy placed her hands on her hips, arrogantly standing before her siblings. "I think you're already acquainted with a certain mysterious hedgehog. Fur as dark as the night. I'll leave you to guess..." She said before leaving the dinner table.

"... Isn't Shadow a little old for her? I'm pretty sure that's illegal?" Sonia spoke quietly to her brother.

Hiding his contempt, Sonic shrugged and pretended to be clueless. "I think so."

"Wait, Shadow? As in that agent?" Aleena said, horrified. She turned to her husband, her mouth left agape. "He's way too old for her!"

"I'll look into it, sweetness." Jules hushed his wife. "I'm sure Shadow would know better than to actually form a relationship with her. He's a good guy."

"Aaaand what about Knuckles?" Sonia asked, hoping for a positive response. "He's a good guy too, right?"

"Depends on what answer you're looking for. Is he a good guy in terms of overall personality? Sure. Is he boyfriend material? Nah. The history he carries with Rouge is far too much baggage to take on."

"... Rouge...? As in Rouge the bat?" She asked, her body stiffening. She blinked her dad, her anger igniting to his casual head nod.

"Yeah? Why?"

"Hah..." She laughed passive aggressively. "Excuse me, please. I gotta make a call." She said before getting up from the table and storming out of the kitchen.

"Does anyone else wanna just leave the table?" Aleena asked rhetorically, her annoyance sounding in her voice. "I'm sorry this is how your siblings treat your coming home meal, honey." She apologised to her son.

Sonic smiled reassuringly back to his mother. "It's no big deal."

"That's what happens when we have four hormonal teenagers in the house." Jules said. The sound of his phone alerted the officer, causing him to quickly get out of his seat and answer the call in his living room. "General speaking."

"Jules." McGrath addressed the man by his first name. "I understand it's your first day home, but we would appreciate if you could attend the meeting regarding the Heroes' Cut."

"When is it?"

"In an hour."

"Wha-?" He hollered, his paranoia being fuelled. If he had to step out, he wouldn't be able to keep his eyes on his two children. "Am I required in this meeting?"

"It turns out the Chancellor will be attending the Heroes' Cut in a few weeks. We need you here to discuss the presentation of heroes."

His nostrils flared with frustration, his spines sharpening on end. Powerless to deny such an opportunity left him unable to keep an eye on his children. With him out of the house, who was to ensure their potential deploraties wouldn't continue behind his back?

Turning back to look at his wife in the kitchen, his eyebrows raised at the opportunity. Only she knew of the anxiety inducing stress that was their children's relationship. To ensure their children didn't turn back to their old ways, he would place his faith into his wife. Just like he used to.

"I'll be there." He told the colonel before ending the call. With a sigh, the man walked into the kitchen and towards his wife, taking her hand in his. "Come with me."

Curious to his deflated mood, Aleena followed her husband into the living room, both coming to a stand still beside the coffee table. "What is it, Jule?"

"I've been called into a meeting."

"Right now? On your first day back?" Aleena questioned, dumbstruck.

"I know. Believe me, I'm not happy about it either." He told her. Looking back to his son for a moment, he leaned forward and spoke quietly. "I need you to keep an eye on Sonic and Amy."

Aleena stepped back, stupified by his request. "W-what? Why? H-hang on, you told us Sonic was dating this Sally girl... Are you telling me they're still not over their... thing? After everything we've sacrifice?!"

"Sweetness, sweetness, calm yourself." Jules soothed his wife's fears. "Sonic's completely over all that... It's Amy I'm worried about. She's been acting weird all day. The stumbling, the dressing up, the passive aggressive response to hear about Sally?"

Still in denial about the signs, Aleena excused the behaviour. "It's probably just strange for her to have you and Sonic back after so long... But if it calms your paranoia, I'll keep an eye on them."

"Thank you." He expressed his gratitude with a delicate kiss upon her lips. Enthralled by the sensation of her sweet kiss, he brought his hands to her face and sealed their lips once more.

"Twenty nine years of watching you two all over each other and I still cringe at the sight." Chuck commented, pretending to hurl at their intimacy.

Breaking the affection with doting wife, Jules wrapped his arm around her waist and walked back with her into the kitchen. "Why have you been watching us all this time, you creep. Get a hobby."

"Get some self control." His brother retaliated.

"Get out of my house!"

Chuck's mouth dropped open, stunned by his brother's audacity. "Whoa. Sorry, I didn't mean to upset you, brother."

"You didn't." Jules chuckled. "I gotta go to Central City HQ for a meeting so I'm politely kicking you out."

"Could've fooled me..." Chuck scoffed. "And before I can get a slice of apple pie?"

"You can take a slice with you. I'll even give you a lift back to your house."

His offer caused him to squint his eyes at his younger brother. "You're such a saint." He said sarcastically, shaking his head to his brother's laughter. Rolling his eyes, he turned to Sonic and smiled. "I guess that's all the time I have with you today, Sonic." He told the boy, raising from his seat. "It's been good to see you around here."

"Same to you too, Chuck." Sonic smiled, getting up to hug the man.

"And don't forget to introduce us to this girlfriend of yours." Chuck smirked at the boy upon breaking the hug.

Evading the sensation of awkwardness overcoming him, the hero nodded back at his uncle, choosing to speak no words on the matter.

With a nod, the uncle took his slice of pie from the purple hedgehog and said his good-byes to the scattered family members. As his uncle and father left, the blue hedgehog found his way to the living room and took a seat on the sofa, contemplating his options on how to win Amy back. Thanks to his father's lies, his task had become more difficult.

But there was still hope. His hot and cold approach had successfully identified her true emotions. Her talk of moving on and seeing him as nothing more than a brother was no more than her anger and struggle during their time apart. Passed her turmoil, she was just like him; deeply affected by the emotions of love for the wrong person.

He just had to get her alone to talk to her about their misunderstandings.

"Sonic?" Aleena smiled to her son as she walked back into the living room. She took a seat beside him and relaxed against the cushions. "Isn't it strange to sit next to each other after all those times we spent behind screens? I almost don't believe this is reality."

"Heh..." Sonic breathed out sheepishly, not knowing what to say. "Yeah... It's kinda surreal."

Her hand rested on his, a gentle squeeze to his injured hand to provide comfort, only to provide him pain. "I hope the decision we made when you were a child hasn't caused any resentment. We were only trying to do what was best for you, dear. I fear now, it might've been the wrong choice." She told him solemnly, looking down as she spoke.

His resentment never fell onto his mother. His father however? He held it all. The decision to send him away, he could forgive. Ultimately, their plan had backfired, resulting in his possible phase becoming a permanent affair. What he couldn't forgive was the years of abuse he received from the man he had once cherished.

Such calamities done against him forever darkened his heart and his view of his dad.

Shaking his head, Sonic placed his other hand on top of hers. "You didn't make the wrong decision. If I didn't go to Mercia, I wouldn't have met Sally. I learnt a lot while I was there and it's put a lot of things into perspective. I'm happy that I got to experience everything I have." He lied once again, his façade perfected.

His mother was overjoyed by his false claims. Smiling brightly through her teary eyes, she pulled her son into a tight hug, paying little mind to his restricted breath. "Oh my little baby blue..."

Another sheepish smile laced his face as he patted her lightly on the back. He remained there; uncomfortably slouched in her arms until he was saved by a beeping tune coming from her pocket.

"Excuse me." She politely said to her son, pulling away from him and checking her beeper from work. Scanning through the message, the purple hedgehog groaned out her frustration and hopped off the sofa. "I'm needed at the hospital. You gonna be okay he-"

The realisation stopped her in her sentence. She was unable to watch over the pair if she had to step out.

But she couldn't see why they couldn't be trusted after all this time. Sonic had moved on, Amy was potentially in yet another concerning relationship and as stated by her husband, Sonic was completely over his childhood antics. Whether Amy was acting up or not, her son would handle it appropriately.

"Here... ?" She finished her sentence.

"Yeah, no problem. I'm gonna head out for a run. My legs need a good stretch." Another lie was given to reassure her. He opted for a brief run. To show her his departure and then make his way back once she was out of range.

Awaiting for his mother to get ready, he left alongside her and waited for her to get the car started. As she drove off the driveway, he shot off down the road, his speed leaving his mother in awe. Overcoming her amazement, she drove herself to work, providing Sonic the perfect opportunity to talk with Amy one on one.

At long last.

* * *

A loud conversation could be heard from upstairs upon opening the front door. Loud enough to cause concern. Looking up towards the source of the ruckus, he breathed out an exasperated sigh. Poor Knuckles, while his fling with Rouge had been a completely separate time to when he was introduced to Sonia, his silence on the matter had resulted in an enraged Sonia.

He was grateful he wasn't on the receiving end of _that_ argument.

However his conversation with Amy wasn't likely to start off pleasantly. Even still, he had longed for this moment for too long to avoid it.

The blue hedgehog dashed up the stairs, stopping on the landing and looking towards Sonia and Amy's room. The likelihood of Amy being in there to listen to Sonia's heated discussion with Knuckles was low. The volume of his sister's voice was deafening from outside the house.

Turning back to his room, he nearly jumped to see her standing there, leaning against his door frame. She was mad, greatly so; furrowed brows and pouting lips.

Perhaps he was no better off than Knuckles.

The pink hedgehog slowly turned the doorknob and swung open the door, allowing herself in. She stood on the opposite side of the door, awaiting for him to enter. While maintaining eye contact, he walked into the room, hearing the door click shut behind him.

There was a brief silence. One thick with tension. He turned to her, seeing her resting her back against the door, eyes to the floor. She was collecting her argument, channeling her emotions.

Chaos...

"Uh, you all good, Rose?" He questioned. She seemed to not appreciate the question or possibly the choice of name to address her. Her channeling interrupted, she marched towards him and pulled on his neckerchief, pulling him down to her height and scowling at eye level.

"What's your deal?" She asked, her question slipped through the small gaps of her teeth in an aggressive tone. "You're gone for seven years and all you had to say was 'nice hair'?!"

"What did you expect me to do? Kiss you in front of everyone?"

His retaliation made her realise her own falter. Letting go of his neckerchief, she stepped away from him and crossed her arms, looking down at her feet. "No, 'course not..." She blushed.

He watched her sulk in front of him, The immature pout on her gloss painted lips and her dark lashes covering her closed eyes. Even when she was moody, her beauty captivated him. He chuckled softly, smiling adoringly to her sullen behaviour.

His laughter made her look back at him. Her hands moving to her hips, she huffed at him. "What's so funny?"

"Nothing" He chuckled. "It's just good to see you again. I've missed this. Me and you."

"Yeah, you must've missed me oh so much... That's why you didn't think to write to me. To contact me at all... I guess Sally's been quite the distraction." She spat bitterly.

Sonic groaned and ran his hand down his face, confounded by her inability to detect the obvious. "I'm not dating Sally. I never have."

One eye looked in his direction, inquisitive of his claim. "What? But dad said-"

Again, he groaned. "No offense, I thought you would've caught on by now."

"How am I supposed to grasp any signs or signals when you've left me clueless for years!" Amy snapped at the hero.

"You say that as if I had a choice!" He argued back at her. His retaliation silenced her, allowing him to explain himself. "You have no idea how much I've wanted to let you know how I felt. I checked everyday for your letters. They were the only thing that kept me going."

"But what about the rumours about you and Sally? You're telling me it's all lies?" Amy interrupted him.

He hesitated with his answer, the guilt coming back to him as it did that night. "I kissed her. Nothing more."

Amy scoffed and turned away from him, hiding her pain. "Yeah, well, it's not my concern whether you choose to pursue her or not. She's beautiful, intelligent, an ideal woman behind the hero, just like Dad said."

With a sigh, Sonic walked towards the pink hedgehog and grasped her hand, pulling her into his arms. His hands settled on her waist. The minor touch causing her to let out a quivering breath. "She is all those things, but she's not who I want." He leaned in close, hearing her let out a quiet squeal at his actions. "She's not you."

She made the mistake of looking into his eyes. Unlike the rest of him, the truth in his glistening eyes had not changed. The softness they held only for her, the dilation expressing his ardent endearment for her.

Her eyes reflected his stare, softening with submission.

But this was her brother. She couldn't, they couldn't do this.

"N-no." She said, wriggling out of his grasp. She covered her eyes and shook her head shamefully. "This isn't right."

Her resistance had surprised him slightly. Even though he had known about her letter and her struggle, he was convinced it had been out of irrational thinking, out of anger. She truly saw him as a brother? Or was it the guilt he too knew too well. "What makes you think that?"

She span back around, giving him a perplexed expression. "What do you think?! You're my brother!"

"I'm not." He rejected her opinion, outright refusing to acknowledge it as a fact.

"Yes you are! You are my brother and I am your sister!"

"You are not my family!" He protested. "You have never been my family!"

Guilt found its way back to him at the sight of her tears glazing her eyes. They rolled down her cheeks and then to the ground, splashing against the wooden floor. He could see her wobbling lips, how she bit them to prevent any stray sobs.

Without warning, she turned towards the door. His arm rose in front of him, attempting to stop her, but she had been the one to stop herself. With her hand on the doorknob, she turned back to him, ignorant to her own tears continuing to fall. "Why do you call me Rose?"

"That's your name..." He gave her a straightforward answer with a shrug.

She shook her head violently in response, her breathing becoming heavy with her overpowering emotions. "No. No, you know that's not my name. Amy is my name!"

"That was the name given to you by my parents."

"They're my parents too!"

"Adoptive parents. They're not biologically your parents. Just like you're not my biological sister."

"This has nothing to do with blood! The point is, I got accepted into this family, which makes you my family. Which also makes me and you impossible!"

"And what if you were adopted by, I don't know, our neighbours? Say you were given to them to raise, would our relationship be considered wrong then?"

She frowned at him, knowing what he was getting at and knowing the answer to his theory. "No..." She mumbled.

Stepping in front of her again, he stared down at her sternly, exposing her vulnerability with his logic. "All that's stopping us is that piece of paper. If you were raised by anyone else in this world, we would be together."

"But that's not our reality, Sonic. Your parents adopted me, making me your sister. That's our reality."

"And you believe that wholeheartedly?" He asked, maintaining his stern look.

Her lips quivered, stunting her breath. "Y-yeah..."

"Then why have you been wanting me as much as I've been wanting you?"

"Excuse me?" She gasped. "Don't stand there and try and tell me how I feel."

"I will, because I know what you're feeling."

"You have no idea-"

"I do!" He cried, gripping her hand desperately. "I know how it feels to yearn for someone so much, that your heart aches for them. To feel like you're fighting against the world because they will never understand how you feel and why you feel that way. How you live in constant fear and shame for the way you feel, even though you have no control over it."

His words spoke to her, connected to her own heart and alleviated the pain. The throbbing pain that had consumed her soothed at the relief of hearing her thoughts being sounded by his voice.

Placing her other hand on top of his, she listened intently, her eyes never leaving his.

"I know you've been lonely. I get that my distance kept you in the dark. But I know that behind the shame you carry, you love me. Just like I love you." He rested his head against hers, tempting her with his lips lingering over her own parting pair. A light brush of their noses left her powerless to the trembling breathe that expelled her pleasure. Her heart pounded achingly with yearning. It was her mind holding her back.

"Sonic... We can't do this."

"But you want to." He whispered, gradually breaking her defence.

"We can't..." She repeated herself, her words were aimed at herself more than him.

"Why?" Sonic asked, his frustration sounding in his tone. "One minute you're wanting me to be all over you. The next, you're telling me I'm your brother. Which is it? What do you want?!" He released her hands in his annoyance, running his own through his quills.

"I want you to tell me that I'm wrong. That this is not right. Because it isn't, is it? I'm not supposed to be- I'm not supposed to love you. Not when you're my... Brother."

"No." He said abruptly. "No, that's just the guilt talking. We're finally together, Ames. Don't let the guilt stop us from being happy." Pleaded the blue hedgehog, clasping both of her hands.

Her eyes met with own, seeing the desperation agonising him. His pain wiped away her defences at first glance, leaving her vulnerable to any advances. "Sonic... why... or how, are you willing to give up everything to be with me? You're willing to have the whole world against you, just to be with me... Why?"

Her vulnerability reflected onto him, allowing him to show her the extremes he would go through to be with her. He lifted his hand and removed his glove, showing her his blackened skins and burns.

Amy gasped loudly, covering her mouth with both hands. The sight was just a glimpse into the horrors he had lived. One of many terrors that held too much affliction to comprehend.

"What happened to you?" She cried.

"Dad..." He muttered, looking down towards the floor. "He'd do anything to stop me from loving you. This just happens to be one of the punishments..."

Her eyes fixated on the afflicted hand, her eyes bestowing the evidence to her disbelief. She knew what her father was capable of. She knew from first hand how ruthless he could be when he was angry. Just how angry had he been when he gave this treatment to his own son?

What could have possibly gotten him so mad to inflict such torture?

"What did he do to you?" Amy cried.

He was reluctant to express his pain, feeling the anxiety return to him from the thought alone. A smaller hand comforted his own by resting on top of it. She beared a small smile, silently encouraging him to speak.

Smiling back solemnly, he told her of his pain. "He... found the letters you sent to me. As you can guess, he didn't take it well."

Her jade eyes filled with fear. "Y-you mean, he saw the pictures I sent you?" From the look on his face, she received her answer. "Oh god... Oh my god..." She gasped, covering her mouth. "So he knows about my feelings for you? Even now?"

Sonic shook his head. "He read your last letter to me. He was convinced enough that you were over me... But having found your pictures in my storage box, he was certain I wasn't over you. So he tested me."

"Tested you?" She repeated in her confusion. "I don't understand... Tested you, how?"

"A lie detector. Everytime I lied about my feelings for you, I'd get a shock to the hand. If I failed the test, he would... wash the taint off of me."

"Wash the taint..." She echoed, her mind spinning at the possibility. To wash instantly reminded her of water... Sonic's phobia. "Oh!" She cried, her eyes instantly releasing her tears. "Oh, Sonic. Did he... ? Did he play with your fears?"

Her lover blinked rapidly, expelling the tears away. His efforts were in vain. A single tears rolled down from his left eye, multiple shortly following. Giving into his emotions, he nodded back at her, letting out a wallowed breath.

"Sonic." She uttered, bringing him into a consoling embrace. She moved her hands to his face, wiping away his tears. "I'm so sorry."

"He did that everyday, for three months. If I hadn't leant to lie, I'd still be there now."

"... The training." She realised. "He kept you there until you passed that test?" Sonic nodded back at her, shamefully covering his hand again.

"I did what I had to do to get back to you. I went along with his plans, his punishments. I tried to move on with Sally to make him happy, but I couldn't do it. I just kept thinking about you and how I was betraying you..." Joining their hands once more, he leaned down and pressed his forehead against hers. "I'd do anything for you. To be with you. I'll continue the lie, if it means being happy, with you."

Foolish. Beyond foolish. The whole time she had thought he had given up on her and moved on, when in fact, he was the one who had been the most loyal in their relationship. He had risked his life for her, tolerated every obstacle to get back to her, endured indescribable crimes against him, just to be in her arms again.

His brief history with Sally could easily be seen as a minor indiscretion.

So he hadn't written to her in the last seven years. But he had been loyal and true to their love, no matter the penitence their love carried.

With a light sigh, Amy nuzzled her forehead against his, smiling bittersweet to their choice. Them against the world. Just as it had always been. "I love you."

The love words translated into her submission. Labels discarded, ideologies adopted. She had revoked her decision to move on and accepted the burdens of their relationship.

Reinstating their love.

His actions were swift in comparison to the sentimental talk. With her yielding, he disposed of any distance between their bodies with his hands on her waist. She provided certainty by wrapping her arms around his neck, pressing herself against him. A shared, fleeting smile conveyed their acceptance, soon concluding with the touch of their lips.

Morals and conditioning were disregarded by the amorous motion. Their haste and longing transpired, heavily breathing and uttered sounds of their satisfaction. All thoughts of consequence, of principles and virtue had been pushed aside for the need of carnal distinguishing.

Light fondling shifted to suggestive groping. Muttered sounds graduated into pleasure filled groans. Time advocated their passion, ascending to paramount levels; too great to sunder.

"Uh..." Came an astonished voice from the opposite side of the opened door. Gawping, wide and red eyed, the co-owner to the bedroom froze in his actions.

Reacting to the sound of his brother's voice, Sonic's one eye opened and shot towards the green hedgehog. His own eye widened to see him. Both emerald and gold glimmering in their shock.

Breaking away from the pink girl, the couple stared back to their brother, mortified by his discovery. "Manic..." Sonic breathed out, the humiliation and shame returning with his logic.

Gormless and befuddled, Manic slowly walked backwards, his hand slowly bringing the door with him. "Uhm... Carry on..." He said awkwardly before slamming the door.

"Wait here." Sonic told his lover, dashing out of the room and towards his scampering brother. He grabbed the teen and forced him into the bathroom, pinning him against the door, slamming it shut.

"What the actual fuck?!" Manic barked at him.

"Manic, it wasn't what it looked like-"

"Dude... the actual fuck!" He repeated, more brazen. "You... and Amy?!"

"Keep your voice down!" Sonic frantically demanded. "L-look, I know it looks bad, but please, don't tell Mum or Dad, Manic please!" He paused, sniffing the air around them. Smoke. Smoke and something distinct. "Is that- Vofegon Root?" He stepped away from his brother, frowning with distaste. "Manic!"

"Really? I catch you with your tongue down our sister's throat and you're standing there and judging me for being high? After what I just saw, I'm gonna need another fix."

"... Good point..." Sonic blushed, crossing his arms and looking away shamefully.

"What's going on? Like, is this a one-time kinda thing? Because what I saw looked... intense." He said uncomfortably.

The discomfort resonated with the eldest child. "Amy and I..." He gulped, turning away from his brother. "We're together."

"What?" Manic gasped. "Wha- S-since when?!" He covered his eyes with both hands, dragging down his fur and skin in his perplexity. "Uuugghhh, what the fuuuuck... ?"

"Just hear us out." Sonic pleaded, grovelling before his brother. "We'll tell you everything. Just please, don't tell anyone about this."

Manic stared at his older brother, rather calm despite his internal discombobulation. It had been a new perception to see his brother lacking his usual confidence and charm. By the flaring spines and shaking breath, his anxiety reigned.

This wasn't just a one time predicament.

Grabbing his brother by the shoulder, he offered a chance to explain. "I wanna know everything."

* * *

"Dude... This is messed up." Manic concluded.

Sat on his bed, the green hedgehog listened to the history behind the relationship between his siblings. The eye opening information enlightened many aspects of their childhood he had not figured out from his own perspective. Many he believed he should have figured out earlier. But the more important information he had gathered, was the reason behind their separation.

Perhaps he was still the favourite, but the discovery of Sonic's relationship with Amy had tarnished the idyllic image their father once held for the Hero of Eurish.

He watched as his siblings looked to the floor in their humiliation, unable to face him after what they had explained. Manic waved his hands, attempting to alleviate some of the tension. "I mean, no offense. But you guys have to admit this is pretty fucked."

"We know. Really, we know..." Sonic said dejectedly, still refusing to look his way.

"So Mum and Dad kinda know something's up?" Manic recapped the situation.

"Yeah. I overheard Dad asking Mum to watch over us." Sonic said. "Even though Mum has more faith in us, she's still cautious."

"Right... And you plan on continuing this... relationship?"

Gulping back his fear, Sonic took Amy's hand and stood up straight, holding his eye contact with his brother. "Manic, this isn't just some weird fetish we're fulfilling. I'm in love with her. I've tried to move on, but it didn't feel right. Not like it does when I'm with her." He said, looking adoringly to his lover. She smiled back at him, squeezing his hand gently.

"I'm sorry you had to find out this way, Manic." Amy said apologetically.

Running his hands through his messy quills, he sighed, exasperated. "Who else knows about this? Does Sonia know?" His siblings shook their heads back at him. "Well, now that I know, you're gonna have to tell her too."

"Wha-" Sonic shrieked.

"Dude. Sonia's gonna be petty as fuck if she finds out you told me before her. If you don't tell her at all, do you really wanna face those consequences when she does find out?"

Sonic sighed, exhausted from the hardship they had faced just to reveal their relationship to Manic. He wasn't sure he had the emotional strength to face the same anxiety again.

Although, at the same time, he knew his brother was right.

"Fine." Sonic groaned, looking to Amy. "The sooner she finds out, the less of an ordeal it'll be."

"What if she doesn't accept us? What if she tells Mum and Dad?" Amy questioned anxiously, her tears building up in her eyes.

"It'll be okay. Sonia's dramatic, but loyal. The least she'll do is hear us out." He assured her.

Nodding back at her beloved, she turned towards the door and followed Manic towards her room. They had barely passed the first wave that was Manic.

They could only pray the second wave would be as merciful.

* * *

Sat crossed legged in a strop, Sonia begrudgingly looked at the ground, her temper spiralling in all directions. After her thirty minute screaming session with her supposed boyfriend, she frustratedly sworn herself off all men. She didn't need a man when she had ice cream. Ice cream had never let her down.

Barging into the bedroom, the trio made their way around her bed. Sonic closed the door behind them, taking his position beside Amy. Though concerned of their circling, Sonia brushed off the awkwardness and looked to her sister.

"It's about time you showed up. Come, I wanna get ice cream. I've decided to become celibate, so celebrate with me." She said, hopping off her bed and walking to her wardrobe to grab her coat. "Eh, it's winter. I might get cookie dough instead. And a brownie... Screw it, let's just pig out."

"Sonia..." Amy said nervously.

"I swear to Chaos, you better not be on some kinda diet. They do have frozen yogurt but come on, that's not anywhere near as good as hot fudge brownies."

"Sonia!" Sonic grabbed the girl's attention.

Offended by her brother's raised voice, Sonia turned to the blue hedgehog and slammed her wardrobe door. "I've already cut off one guy from my life, don't make me do the same to you!"

"Before you cast Knuckles out your life, let me explain the situation between him and Rouge first... And before that, we, uh... have something to tell you."

"You're gonna order a hot fudge brownie for me?"

"No..." Sonic sighed. "Just listen!"

Amy stepped forward and took her sister's hands in hers. Confused, Sonia allowed the girl to sit her on her bed and watched as she sat beside her. "You know I've always been a little reluctant to talk about boys..."

"Yeah..." Sonia raised an eyebrow.

Letting out a shaky breath, Amy looked down at her lap nervously. "I, um... I've been holding out for someone."

"I know." Sonia said. The pink hedgehog raised her head to look at her, astonished to hear her answer. "You told me at the dinner table? You're dating Shadow." She held her hand up, preventing Amy from speaking. "It's okay. I know he's a little older, but he's cute, so I accept it."

"Sonia, no..." Amy shook her head. Another nerved breath escaped her. "I'm not dating Shadow."

"Oh..." She responded disappointedly. "Then who are you dating? Do I know him?"

"Oh, you know him alright." Manic said sarcastically.

Amy's eyes made their way down her lap, moving purposely slow across the floor and gradually moving up to face the blue boy. Her shaking limb reached up, waiting for him to take her hand. He took it delicately, helping her up and holding her hand close to his side.

For a moment, Sonia stared at their joined hands. Denial delayed her response. The evidence before her was too much to believe. "I don't... I don't quite understand. You're..." She swallowed. "No... No... NO!"

"Sonia." Sonic tried to soothe the fuchsia girl.

"No, no. What?! J-just no! What the fuck?!"

"I said the exact same thing." Manic commented.

Shaking her head violently, Sonia paced back and forth. "What are you two playing at?! You just suddenly forgotten that you're siblings; **brother and sister?**!"

"We're not blood related." Sonic reminded her.

"Oh, well that's alright then!" Sonia said sarcastically. "Do you even hear yourself? You're actually gonna stand there and tell me that your relationship is acceptable because you're not blood related siblings? She's still our sister!"

"If she was adopted by any other person, it would be normal! Just because she grew up alongside us, it's wrong?!"

Sonia scrunched her features at his logic. "What? No, you absolute moron! It's not the fact that she grew up with us, it's the fact that she's _legally_ adopted into our family. From the very beginning, Amy's been our sister. I'm guessing this affair started you were both old enough to know you were siblings. You've completely disregarded that fact and started a relationship without concern for how it affects everyone else."

"We're in love, Sonia." Amy begged her sister to understand.

Her pleas were grotesquely rejected. "Don't say that..." She insisted, waving her finger at the pink hedgehog.

"But it's true!" She cried. "I've never seen him as my brother and he's never seen me as his sister. This has been going on for as long as I can remember. We even came out with it as children. That's why-"

"Aunt Vanilla's house." Sonia came to the realisation. "You two kissed each other during a game of Mums and Dads... Oh my god. Oh my god. _That_ was why you were sent away! Mum and Dad know about this?" Sonic and Amy nodded back at her, only adding to her confusion. "But Dad said you were dating Sally."

"To throw Amy off, incase she still held her feelings for me after all this time." Sonic informed her.

The teen rubbed her temples, her head pounding from the groundbreaking discovery. "So now what? You're just gonna carry on behind their backs?"

With a stern expression, Sonic nodded. "Yes."

Stunned, Sonia stuttered. Her eyelids fluttering at his audacity. "I'm sorry... I don't think I can't take this. You can't be in a relationship with our sister. Mum and Dad can deal with this." She said, walking away from the three hedgehogs.

"Wait!" Sonic dashed in front of her, blocking her from exiting.

His sister scowled at him. "You might be faster than me, but I'm a hell of a lot stronger than you. Move out of the way before I prove it."

Her stubbornness was strong. Her insistence fierce. Words were a useless tool in their strive for understanding. He needed to show her how serious he was. How important this relationship was to him.

He slipped off his glove, showing her the injuries on his hand. Taken back by the appearance of his hand, Sonia gasped loudly, covering her mouth as she stepped back.

"Sonic..."

"I couldn't deal with being in Mercia for so long. Being away from everyone... I..." He acted through his lie, sprouting meaningless tears in his bid to win his sister over.

"Sonic... You did this to yourself?" She sobbed, her eyes blurring from her tears. He nodded back at her, refusing to look her way. According to his siblings, his dad was an innocent man. Far too benevolent to believe he would abuse his child. To keep their portrayal of their father clean, and to win their empathy, he would lie.

"Oh..." She sobbed, pulling her brother into a consoling hug. "I'm so sorry."

Puzzled by his lie, Amy stood back and watched him gain the empathy of Sonia and Manic. He looked her way for a second, quickly looking away to maintain his act.

"I know it's wrong to feel this way. We both do. But we never asked for it. No one would choose to fall in love somebody in their family... But I've tried to live without her, and I can't."

Looking back at her sister, Sonia contemplated her perspective. It was wrong, no doubt in that. But at the sake of her brother's livelihood, she could see passed morals.

"Are you sure about this?" His sister asked. "Both of you... It's not just a brother, Amy will lose. She'll lose her family. Mum and Dad are the only parents she has. If you accept each other as partners, you'll also be rejecting Mum and Dad as your parents, us as your siblings."

The triplets looked to the pink hedgehog, all anxious for her answer. Amy blinked, eyes bouncing between each hedgehog. That concept had not been considered despite the obvious. Without him, she had a family; a mother and father who cherished her, brothers and sister she had spent her whole life with.

But with him, she could see her past, her present and future. He was the keeper of her heart. Life without him had proven to be undeniably excruciating.

She had lived a life with him, and endured it without him. She knew which one she couldn't live again.

Walking towards the blue hero, Amy took his gloved hand in hers and rested her head against his shoulder. "I don't wanna lose either of you... But I love him with all my heart. I always have."

Watching the pair smile at one another, the fuchsia hedgehog found herself hopelessly smiling at them. Yes, she still found their union to be wrong and somewhat nauseating to look at, but they were happy. Genuinely happy. To keep him from his pain, she would accept their relationship and keep it from her parents.

"I'm not saying I'm totally alright with this... But I guess I can get used to you being my sister in law." Sonia smiled, pulling the pair into a group hug. "As long as you're both happy, your secret is safe with us."

Manic stood awkwardly outside the hug, crossing his arms. "I didn't say I agreed..."

Sonic's smile faded as he looked to his brother. After a moment of silence, he turned back to the girls. "Did you guys know Manic's smoking Vofegon Root?"

"Manic?!" His sisters shrieked at him.

"... Okay..." Manic frowned. "We find out Sonic and Amy are secretly dating, but me smoking is the main problem? What's with this family?"

Holding out his hand to his brother, Sonic offered him a deal. "Keep this to yourself and I'll keep your drug problem a secret."

"I don't have a drug problem, I use it to de-stress... But I'll take your deal, only if you don't tell Mum and Dad about it..."

"Dea-"

" _And_ I'm allowed to bring Kelsey in our room..."

"Dude. I'm not gonna listen to y-"

" _Aaaand_ you'll be my alibi when I'm out."

"... What happened to you, Man?"

"Do we have a deal?" Manic questioned, ignoring his brother's concern.

With a grin, he grabbed his brother's hand and shook it. Binding their promises through their contact.

"Great! Now we've discussed that mess, you can order my brownies and ice cream while you tell me everything you know about Knuckles and Rouge. And while we're discussing that, we can also talk about why I'm the last one to find out about your relationship." Sonic smiled aggressively back at her eldest brother and her sister as she opened the door.

Looking back at one another, the couple expressed their uneasiness through awkward smiles. They were not coming out of the storm just yet.

* * *

All four hedgehogs sat in the boy's bedroom, watching a movie on the wall mounted TV.

Sonic took his seat on the window sill, resting his arms behind his head and crossing his legs; one knee over the other. Lead on his bed were the girls, resting side by side, on their stomachs. In front of them lay two boxes once filled with chocolate brownies and vanilla ice cream. Manic rested on his own bed, positioned like his brother's posture.

Looking away from the romantic comedy picked out by his sisters, Sonic looked around at his family, admiring the simplicity of their quality time together. Minimal words were emitted, little expression given. They were just surrounded in each other's company, enjoying said company.

He had truly missed such moments.

A brief knock came from the bedroom door, followed by their dad abruptly entering the room. He stood at the door, his eyes shooting around the room at each of them, scanning them.

"Everythin' alright, Dad?" Manic asked.

Satisfied to see the distance between his eldest and youngest child, he smiled at his children. "Ah, yeah. I'm fine. Uh, listen... your Mum and I are going to be... reconnecting tonight-"

"Gross." Sonia said monotonously.

" _Anyway..._ there's money on the kitchen side of you all need anything and other than that, you're parent free for the night." He was about to leave the room when he stopped and turned back to the kids. "Oh, and I'm leaving Sonia in charge."

"What?! How's that fair? She's younger than me and Sonic!" Manic protested.

"It's 'Sonic and I' and anyway, she keeps you boys in check so we don't have to."

Nodding approvingly, Sonia smirked at the green teen. "Thank you, Daddy."

Jules smiled back at his daughter. "You're welcome, Princess."

"Julie..." Aleena chimed in the background. Her flirtatious tone disturbing the children.

Their father blushed with embarrassment, slowly looking up to his traumatised kids. "... Don't come looking for us." He said, closing the door quickly with his departure.

"And with that mental image, I'm gonna go..." Manic declared, hopping out of bed and walking towards the window.

Seeing the boy heading his way, Sonic jumped off the window sill, courteously opening the window for him. "When will you be back?"

"Dunno. Heading to meet up. I'll message you if I'm bringing Kelsey back..."

"Great..." Sonic responded sarcastically.

His brother jumped out of the window, grinding down the bricked wall and flipping down onto the ground. He hopped over the fence and made his way to the front of the house, heading for another night of mischief.

"Don't worry, Sonic. Kelsey's actually rather nice despite who she and Manic hang around with." Amy tried to reassure her lover.

"Yeah. And she's not as loud as the others. Probably why he brings her back more often." Sonia said too casually. She rolled off the bed and jumped onto her feet. "If you'll excuse me, I'm gonna speak to that Knucklehead and make him apologise to me for making me yell."

Sonic raised his eyebrow, perplexed by her mindset. "But didn't you accuse him of cheating on you?

Reluctant to reply, Sonia stalled her answer. "Well, yeah... But I can't have him thinking I was wrong." She grinned, giggling to Sonic's perplexity. "I'll make it up to him... until then, don't do anything I wouldn't do... Oh wait, too late."

"Bye." Sonic glared at her as he pushed her out of his bedroom. Shutting the door behind him, he turned back to his girlfriend and sneered. He dashed back to the bed, causing Amy to squeal at his sudden appearance above her. "I thought they'd never leave."

"It was nice for all of us to spend time together again."

"Yeah, but I want to spend time with my favourite person." He grinned, lowering himself down and placing a peck on her lips. Fond of his delicate lips, Amy wrapped her arms around his neck and brought him back to kiss him once more.

Breaking the momentary bliss, she bit her lip and delicately played with his quills. "Are you absolutely sure about this? About us? Like, I know I am, I just don't wanna lose you again."

He smiled. The sacrifices they were taking, the dare they were willing to take. It was both liberating, yet condemning. No matter how much they loved one another, the shame would always be there. They would forever live with the guilt of their uncontrollable emotions and in fear of those who disapproved.

However, at joined hands and brushing lips, the fears halted, erased by a single touch.

"I'm sure. More sure than I've ever been." He said with confidence. "I want you and I'll do anything to keep you."

"... Anything?" She grinned.

"You name it."

Looking over his shoulder, she looked at the TV screen, then back to him. "Even watch the rest of this movie with me?"

Chuckling softly, Sonic rolled off of the pink girl and got comfortable on his bed. He brought her close to him, resting her head against his chest. "Now that might be pushing it, but since it's you, I'll make an exception."

"Thank you." She smiled, nuzzling against him. "I love you."

"I love you too." Sonic said, meeting her lips once more for a tender kiss, gradually deepening with amatory intent.

The movie was blissfully overlooked.


	10. Interference of the Father

Chapter Ten: Interference of the Father

Sanctuary was taken from the comforts of the family sofa. With pillow and blanket as his only belongings, the hero found himself back to limited luxury, exiled from his sumptuous bed to escape the unbearable soundings that were his brother's womanly encounters.

It was actually rather astounding just how much companionship he required to function. He counted four days a week; the actual number of copulation was another calculation he was definitely not willing to work out.

Shuffling to find a comfortable position, Sonic groaned, frustrated by his inability to sleep.

The faint sounds of a rhythmic thud coming from above wasn't helping either. Just how the rest of the family managed to sleep through Manic's rendezvous was beyond him.

Surrendering to his insomnia, he decided to ready himself for the big day; The Heroes' Cut. A rather pompous occasion where he and the rest of the heroes were to be displayed like runway models in front of thousands; showing their abilities and revealing themselves as the saviours of the world. It was said to be a big event with the chancellor being one of many to look out for. The moneybags to the project.

And there were others who intrigued interest. Word spread of their feats against Doctor Robotnik, bringing forth ambassadors around the world. With today's success, they would likely be funded by multiple countries and possibly recruit more heroes.

For once, his father's visions were considered admirable.

Morning routine now executed, Sonic made his way to the kitchen. As he made his way down the steps of the stairs, he acknowledged the light coming from his destination, illuminating the living room and the hallway, poking beneath the closed kitchen door. Curious, he headed through the living room and stood underneath the archway.

In front of a countertop stood his girlfriend, preparing her breakfast. Clothed for the day ahead. She had been too focused on cutting an apple to be aware of his presence. An excellent opportunity for mischief.

Dainty was his tiptoeing without his shoes. He prowled towards her, each step assumably undetected by the ears of the pink hedgehog. Slow like his movements, his grin deviously formed. The thought of her terror humouring him and fuelling his execution.

A little less than a metre between them was his ideal position to ambush. With eager hands and light footing, he pounced; his hands grabbing onto her waist expeditiously and a whispered 'boo' transmitted into her ear.

His plan however did not follow accordingly. Rather than displaying any signs of fright to his little prank, Amy placed her free hand against his, leaning back against him and resting her head against his shoulder.

"Morning, handsome." She whispered softly, placing the knife down on the chopping board and bringing it to the side of his face. She moved his head towards her direction and deposited a light kiss on his unexpecting lips.

Taken back by her greeting, the blue boy blushed, his lips parting slightly on her exit. "How'd you know it was me?"

"One, you've left your pillow and covers spawned across the sofa. Two, Manic and Sonia wouldn't be up this early. And three, you're nimble, but not that nimble."

"Ah..." He uttered, smiling bashfully in return. Reviving the affectionate moment, he captured her lips in another kiss. His delight to see her was embodied into his passion; tenderly slow with moderate appetition. She happily accepted, matching his avidness. Her equalling enamoured nature was the key to his unlocking lust. His frustration caused by his brother being another emotion vented into their moment of ecstasy.

He broke the kiss abruptly, spinning her to face him before bringing their lips back into their connection. It was heavy; heavier in comparison to his previously tender approach. She received his aggression and zeal in a midst of his adoration, a performance she found herself aspiring to replicate. Her efforts were quickly abandoned at the sensation of his tongue requesting access. A faint moan and swooning to the lustful haze, she submitted to his advances.

The unshackling of his emotions brought upon uncharted intensity. His rigorous thrashing against her tongue bringing forth his bridled passion contemptibly reined in to fit his parents' ideals. Their disgrace forbidding such intimacy was, like his thoughts, drifting away.

One hand settled against her heated cheek while the other remained at her waist, pulling her close to him, minimising all gaps between them. The heat of her body resonating against his own feverish form. She moaned against his lips, signalling her enthrallment. A part of him raised alarms to their sounds of pleasured moans and heavy breathing, but the lack of logic kept him in his hazy condition.

It was thrilling, intoxicating... Wrong. The badgering shame still playing a huge part to their romance. It prevented them from moving forward, stopped them from fulfilling the craving they held for one another, left them nauseated with the petrifying notion of exposure.

Yet he was far too worked up to contemplate anything, too amorous to consider such negative thoughts. If anything, the taboo only flamed his desires; making him want her even more.

Breaking the kiss, he lowered his lips to her neck. Delicate kisses prepared the area for his impetuous lust. Hearing her sighs increase in frequency, he bit down the sensitive area, gently sucking on his passionate affliction.

Her back arched instantaneously to his marking, pushing against him harshly. A quivered breath was shortly followed by a high audible moan. One that had shocked both of them back to their reality.

"Ssh!" Sonic silenced her with his hand over her mouth. The couple listened out for any sounds coming from above. They were relieved to know their amatory activities had not been unveiled.

Her lover relaxed, slowly removing his hand from her mouth. "Sorry." She bashfully lowered her head, embarrassed by her lascivious sounds. She blushed deeply to the overview of what had happened. His actions; so tantalising, so raunchy."That was, um... Heh." She breathed out, her mind racing to the moment's memory. She smiled coyly back at him. "That was... Wow."

"Heh..." He copied her bashful laughter, grinning widely as he looked to the ground. "Sorry..."

"No, no. I liked it. A lot actually." She giggled another sheepishly girly laugh. "It was a little different than usual. More aggressive."

"Yeah, well sharing a bedroom with 'Manic The Hornhog' can leave you very on edge." He stated, crossing his arms to match his newfound stern demeanour.

"Wait, Kelsey's here again? Isn't this the fourth time this week?" She received a displeased expression from the blue hedgehog as her response. "Did he kick you out of the room?"

"No." He smiled passive aggressively, his annoyance surfacing beneath the false smile. "After his countless fails to actually get through the bedroom window, he and Kelsey finally stumble in, stinking up the place with alcohol and vofegon root, collapse onto his bed in a fit of giggling, right before they started getting it on."

Repulsed by the information, Amy gagged at the thought. "Ugh, so I take it you heard it?"

Another look of displeasure signalled his disdain. "I thought I knew what trauma was until I heard them." His body shuddered at the memory. "Eugh. I can still hear them when I think about it!" He groaned, shaking his head violently in a bid to rid the echoing horror.

"You have suffered a great deal." She cooed, kissing his cheek lightly.

The question to her early rise came to mind. If Manic hadn't made it his mission to traumatise him, he would still be wrapped up in lavish sheets on a plush mattress. Her awakening had no obvious explanation.

"Why are you awake?" He asked suspiciously. He briefly looked back at the clock on the wall to discover it was 4:36am, much earlier than he had anticipated.

"I always wake up at four. I gotta put the training in if I'm gonna make it onto the Heroes' Cut." She explained.

"Ah. You're wanting on my team, huh?" He grinned.

"Of course! But don't flatter yourself too much, having you as my commander is only a bonus." She grinned back at him. His fading smile was transforming to a look of confusion, intrigued to know her reasoning for her dedication. "I wanna be on the front lines to avenge my family. All those people who died, defenceless and without hope. I want to avenge all their deaths, to provide their lives with the justice they deserve."

There was passion behind her purpose, one he couldn't help but admire. While his own objective was similar to hers, it had always been more obligatory. He was born with the traits of a hero, raised by a man who envisioned him as a hero. It only seemed right that he took on that role that had been predetermined for him.

But for Amy? Her purpose had been more meaningful, more passionate. Though not gifted with some obvious supernatural powers, she was gifted with undeniable abilities. Abilities in which were enhanced by her determined heart.

Rather than allow her grievances to weigh her down, she allowed her trauma to motivate her in seeking out the problem and exterminate it.

His eyes dazzled at the marvel that was his girlfriend. A tremendous force from all aspects, easily unsung by the graciousness she emitted. Her power over her trusty hammer didn't make her a hero, but the grace of her compassion.

Leaning against the kitchen counter, he slipped into entranced state, admirably staring at the pink hedgehog.

She got back to work on making her breakfast, smiling coyly to his loving gaze. "What?" Her smile grew as her eyes left the chopping board and wondered back to his captivated face.

"If the officers don't put you through to the Heroes' Cut, I'm gonna boycott this whole thing. I need you on my team."

"Oh, and why's that?" She grinned, leaning towards her lover.

"Eye candy." He smirked back at her.

"And that's all I'll be on your team? Your personal entertainment?"

"No... That's just an extra to the package." His arms made their way back to her waist, bringing her into another embrace. "You'll be the heroine by my side, cracking that Egghead."

Delighted by the vision, Amy giggled fondly, wrapping her arms around his neck. "That sounds like a dream..." Her glee shortly faded as she looked down at the floor, their dream being stomped by reality. "But I'll never get to be the heroine by your side. Not to everyone else anyway... I'll just be known as your youngest sister."

He shared her discouragement, his lips arching into a frown as he watched her sullenly drop her head. Authenticity had always been a leading plight for them. Their secret relationship compelled them to refrain from the simplest of activities many couples would often pay little mind to: Dates, public display of affection, introduction to friends. While they understood the importance of sacrificing these typical milestones, it didn't stop them from mourning what could not be.

They had previously strived for some normality. Though it was anything but a date, they had managed to walk together to Central City HQ on their own. The incident had triggered off their father's paranoia, resulting in their communicators receiving on demand messages and calls, a passive aggressive lecture in front of their friends, and for Sonic, a threat and an assault to the abdomen.

Their father's prying eyes were seen a lot more since that day.

But with Valentine's Day just a week and a half away, he was determined to do something. Anything, to put a stamp on their relationship. He owed it to her for her seven year long blind dedication and for just a day, realistically a few hours, they'd step out of the shadows and embrace the continual flames of their passion.

The plan was set. Once his parents were out for their candlelit dinner, he would make his getaway with Amy and whisk her off to the tropics. Relaxed against the soft sands, overlooking the ocean, he'd serenade her with the strings of his guitar and watch the sunset, holding her lovingly as they said goodbye to another day.

His forehead leisurely fell onto hers, the gentle knock to the head, followed by a tender nuzzling against her bangs, brought a smile onto her face. "All that matters is how we feel." He reassured her. "Besides, in just under two weeks, we'll be on a hot beach, half way across the world. Far from everybody we know, free to be ourselves."

The description of their secret escape broadened her optimism. Thanking her partner, she planted a tender kiss on his lips. "I can't wait."

"Neither can I. Although until then, we should probably practice on our PDA."

Grasping his implication, the girl grinned coquettishly. She shared her approval at the reunion of their lips, imitating the libidinous behaviour of her lover. Taking lead, a salacious, quietened moan came from her in the midst of her desirous kiss. Fingers trailing into his quills, she pushed him back against the counter, giggling with coy-like deviance to her established ardency.

The clatter of footsteps came down the steps. One emerald eye peered to the side, towards the kitchen door and then proceeded to widen in it's vigilance. Someone was coming.

He pulled himself away from his lover, spinning their positions round to bring her back to her original task of making herself breakfast. With Amy facing the chopping board, he dashed to the opposite side of the kitchen and pretended to be busy looking for his own dietary energy.

Successfully dodging their exposure in front of their father by three and a half seconds.

The man promptly stopped beneath the archway, stunned to see the siblings in the same room, alone, at this time in the morning. He blinked, registering the presence of the pair. Paranoia instantly active.

"Good morning..." He said, reserved.

Turning to their father, his children smiled back at him. They held a certain irreproachable poise about them, a strong act before the suspicious blue elder.

"Morning, Sir." Sonic greeted his superior.

"Good morning, dad." Amy smiled sweetly.

In the presence of his daughter, Jules forced a smile. "My, aren't we both up and ready for the big day? That's what I like to see!" He beared his pearly whites.

"Anything it takes to make it onto the Heroes' Cut!" Amy enthused, placing her apple slices onto the plate holding her bagel.

A short breath, along with an uneasy smile painted his features. Only for a moment where he had been overcome with his guilt. The signs of his remorse were quickly recovered with his lying gleam. "I'm sure your efforts have paid off, Little Petal." He told his daughter, placing a hand on her shoulder.

The tiny slip of emotion was not missed by his eldest son. As the lead to the Hero project, Jules had a great deal of involvement in the decision making for the Heroes' Cut. If those expressions were aimed at his own daughter's dream to make the cut, he dreaded their meaning.

He knew his dad was corrupt. But surely he couldn't stoop to such levels.

"Ack-!" Jules gasped. His eyes squinted, wrinkling around his darkened eyes. His outburst had woken the hero from his thoughts. Blinking rapidly, Sonic turned his head to see his dad holding onto his lover's shoulder, leaning in closely towards the girl's neck.

To the marking on her neck he had created not so long ago. The dark purple bruising forming under pink tints.

Intuitively, and to Amy's dismay, Sonic looked away. The less involvement he had in the explanation for the love bite, the better.

"What's that on your neck?" Her father questioned her, talking aggressively slow through his teeth. His paranoia could not be hidden from the girl any longer once he had witnessed the vital evidence on her neck.

"Uhm..." Amy frozen, her eyes looking downward then back to her dad. Silent. Astonished and silent. Her dumbstruck response was all the fuel he needed to set his anxiety ablaze.

Kindling with fury, his golden eyes found their way to his son. He was met with a poised, unfazed attitude. A protective shield of perfected acting. Creating insecurity in his accusation.

"Aaaaah!" A horrified scream came from upstairs. The outraged yelling of the mother shortly followed, leading the three hedgehogs to jump to her trumpeting hysteria. " **MANIC THE HEDGEHOG**!"

No words were given by the father. At speeds stunning both his children, the man raced up the stairs to see just what had caused such disturbance in his easygoing wife.

"Sonic..." Amy gasped, overwhelmed by the discovery.

Dashing by her side, he took her hand in his and squeezed reassuringly. "Keep calm. No matter what he does or says, you need to keep calm."

She nodded in return, too perturbed to speak. The mark of his love beared on her neck was now a grand piece of evidence which would undoubtedly be used against them in future.

Fleeting steps came rushing down the steps, breaking their affection once more. As he stepped back, his eyes fell onto the intrusive, blonde pelted fox. Half accumulating her belongings and clothing, the girl stood under the archway, holding her jacket over her front, covering her lack of modesty.

"Hey, guys." Kelsey smiled bashfully.

"Uh, hi Kels..." Sonic waved, awkwardly averting his eyes away from the teen.

Embarrassed, Kelsey blushed deeply. "I don't suppose you could let me out, could ya?"

The blue hedgehog dashed to the front door and unlocked it, racing back to where he stood before the girl could blink. "It's open."

She blinked, dumbfounded. Turning to look pass the living room and at the front door before turning back to the blue hedgehog, awestruck. "Wow. Manic told me you were fast. I can't say I ever believed him until now." Her bashful smile slowly formed to an endeared, coy grin.

Catching onto the girl's subliminal flirtation that had flown over her boyfriend's head, Amy stepped forward and expressed her disapproval, deeply frowning. "I think it's time you left, Kelsey."

Kelsey nodded back to the pink hedgehog, smiling optimistically. "Can you let Manic know I'll message him, please? Thanks!" She said, spinning on her bare heels towards the exit and rushing out of the house.

"See you around, Kelsey." Sonic waved to the girl, earning a nudge from his girlfriend. "What?" He shrugged.

Shaking her head at her boyfriend, Amy took her plate and walked away from him.

"What? What did I do? Ames?!" Sonic tailed the girl, mentally analysing what he had done to anger her.

* * *

He was beginning to realise the tiers of anarchy in his parents' style of parenting. The level of discipline was not determined by the actions of the child, rather it was decided by whom they were disciplining.

His mother had been rightfully angry at his younger brother; screaming, crying, nagging him for hours on end in regards to his rebellious behaviour, his unhealthy habits and overall disrespect he had shown. In the midst of all this, his father remained wholly calm, expressing his disappointment through an almost patronising lecture.

It wasn't as though he wished for his brother to receive a severe punishment. Not at all in fact. But when he was given such heinous beatings and unspeakable torture for simply looking at his father a certain way, it was highly unjustified.

His brother had been sneaking out the majority of nights, returning home with his go-to fling in tow, taking illegal substances and underaged drinking. Not to mention the additional body art on his left arm and chest he had gotten in his drunken night out, _and_ the new piercings he now had stapled to his nose and lips.

But all that compared to simply forgetting to smile at his dad the one time? Nothing.

After all the severe behavioural issues they had found, Manic was given a slap on the wrist and told to not do it again. His place on the Heroes' Cut was compromised, granted. However, Manic had never been phased by the top ten. He had only been interested in engineering and luckily for him, his compromise landed him that exact position.

That wasn't even the most ludicrous thing to happen from the events of that morning. After his father was done giving Manic a tap to the wrist, he sought him out and badgered him for not telling him about Manic's late night activities.

Anarchy. Anarchy reigned supreme.

Sat on the edge of the apron of the stage, Sonic was caged in his own thoughts, head down and inattentive to the rushing staff members and technicians around him. Physically present, mentally anonymous. Cloaked in a heavy mist of black, a gloom emulating down onto him. It had always been there; Like he was back in that lake, sinking to his death. A weight holding him down beneath the rough currents and suffocating him.

The tones of darkness deepening with his descent.

"Ayo, Sonic!" Chimed a voice he hadn't heard in a while. Looking over his shoulder, he saw Rob standing over him, smiling down at him.

His mood faded with his merry smile. "Rob!" He exclaimed, jumping to his feet and exchanging a brotherly handshake with the man. "Good to see you, man. How ya been? I haven't seen you for ages!"

"You can thank your dad for that." He said, a false irritation entwined in his voice was taken seriously by the younger hedgehog. Chuckling softly, Rob changed his demeanour. "That night at that party back in Mercia, your dad offered me a position in strategics." He scratched his head sheepishly. "Can't say it was ever something I wanted to get into... Heck, I wasn't even that great at the job at first, but eh, I learnt on the way."

That information contained more questions than answers. As Rob specified himself, strategics was not the area he ever expected him to flourish in. The older hedgehog was a hero specialising in ranged attacks. An artist with the bow and arrow. A man designed for the fight, not the tactics.

And for the general to single out Rob for this role... There was a deeper reason to this.

"So where've you been based? Can't say I've seen you in HQ." Sonic investigated more into his father's plans.

"Station Square. It's not so bad there. Hell of a busier than Mercia. You know, what with having a civilisation there, but it's alright." He looked around the grand scale arena, scanning the countless workers. "But now I'm finally in Central City, I can start my search for my cousin."

Sonic smirked. "Remind me. What was her name again? Rose?"

"Heh, you got some memory on you, my friend." Rob gave the hero a thumbs up to confirm.

"Cool..." He said, briefly looking around for any sign of the general before grabbing the man's wrist. "Come with me." He insisted. Giving the man little chance to disagree, he dashed off, a screaming Rob in tow, towards the backstage dressing rooms.

* * *

"Oh now this, I could get used to." Sonia reclined against her seat, crossing her legs and raising her head to allow the artist to perfect her make-up for the evening.

"I bet." Rouge smiled, walking passed the fuchsia hedgehog. She slowed her walk to check herself out in the mirror, the bright lights illuminating her white pelt. "I'm sure you could use all the help you could get in the looks department." She giggled in spite as she walked towards her workstation.

The prying eyes of Amy and Sally wandered over to the mighty female. Predictable were the coming events. The first insult had been served. A fight would soon follow.

Her curled tongue protruded against her bottom lip, then forming into a grin. "Hahaha, that was so clever!" She clapped sarcastically. "But do be careful, Rouge. Can't use too many brain cells at once. You'll give yourself an aneurysm."

"Girls... Behave." Sally warned. Her gaze fixed to the mirror ahead.

"Sorry, Sal. Jealousy can bring out the worse in some people." She leaned back and turned towards Rouge. "Wouldn't you agree, Blusher?"

The reflection of the bat scowled at the nickname. "Listen pipsqueak. I'm not jealous of anyone. _Especially_ not you. You're nothing more than a child, picking up my leftovers."

"I forgot to thank you for that by the way. I turned your 'leftovers' in a feast. You have to agree, he's quite the dish." Sonia smirked, her reflection mimicking.

The ivory woman stood up from her seat, placing her hands on her hips. "You're really starting to get on my last nerve." She said aggressively, slowly walking towards her enemy.

Hearing the aggression in her voice, Sonia stood up from her seat and confronted the bat. The two stood face to face, one searing in her anger, the other holding her smirk.

"Seriously guys? Can't you both just drop this?" Amy rolled her eyes and sighed, exasperated by the same reoccurring argument. Since the physical reunion of Sonia and Knuckles, the bitter rivalry between Sonia and Rouge was established. Throughout training and the rehearsals for the Heroes' Cut, their bickering was an ongoing, taxing regularity.

Glossing over the comments from her enemy's younger sister, Rouge leered at the girl in front of her. "The only reason he ever looked your way was because he couldn't have me. You're nothing but a second choice and even that's a generous position for you."

Sonia laughed, throwing her head back audaciously. "Nah, that's not how it is and you know it. The truth is, you had him, and then you discarded him for Shadow. But look how that turned out?" She snickered. "Even he knew not to get too close to you."

The attack from the bat came out of surprise. In swift motion, she hovered off the ground and delivered a crushing kick to her foe's abdomen. The fuchsia hedgehog was knocked back to the ground, her back scraping hardly against the carpet.

"Sonia!" Amy gasped, leaping up from her chair. Her attempt to rush to her sister's aid was halted by her sister raising her hand towards her, gesturing to stay out of the fight.

Leaping back onto her feet, Sonia rushed forward and jumped into the air. She ran across the wall, heavy heels carelessly smashing through the lightbulbs decorating the mirrors. Reaching the left corner behind the bat, she forced herself off the wall and grabbed onto the bat's wing, wrapping it tightly around the woman's bodice.

Both girls plummeted to the ground, Sonia dominating on top. Her balled fists delve down onto the woman beneath her. They missed, slamming into the ground beside her head. The power of each fist rippled devastating tremors into the ground, causing the room to quake.

"Go on! Get out of here!" Sally demanded the make-up artists out of the room. She opened the door for them, allowing them to run. On their exit, Sally and Amy rushed over to the wrestling females and attempted to pull them apart.

"Stop fighting, you two!" The chipmunk scolded the pair. She used all her strength to pull Sonia away from Rouge, but the tremendous strength the girl possessed was beyond her own capabilities.

"Sonia! You're better than this!" Amy reminded her sister, her arms wrapping around her sister's torso. She too was struggling to rip the girl away.

"She started this so I'm finishing it!" Sonia yelled. "Knuckles doesn't want you so leave him alone!"

"Is that what he told you?" Rouge sneered, her arms shaking violently as she held back Sonia's attacks. "Is that why he was in my room last night?"

Her words triggered a glimmer of insecurity in the girl above her, resulting in her vulnerability. Kicking the girl off of her, Rouge flew up and slowly lowered herself back onto the floor.

"I mean, I can't say I can blame him. While you live outside the city, I was only a few doors down from him. And believe me, the distance to my room might have been quick, but the service was anything but that. You know how he is; attentive yet... rough."

Every nerve was blitzed, blood pumping in their exhilarated temper. Rage in motion, the hair above her head began to levitate in the rapid breeze that consumed her.

"Sonia... Sonia, don't do this!" Amy cried. But her pleas were drowned out from the sister's building vigor. The winds around her sibling violently billowed, ripping the miscellaneous objects from the tables. Defeated, the pink girl turned to the chipmunk and grabbed her arm. "We need to get outta here!"

Sally nodded back at her, yanking on Rouge's shoulder and leading the girls out of the room and into the hallway. Their escape left mere seconds to get out of the way. As they ran down the hall, the door the female's dressing room shot off it's hinges and into the wall opposite.

A tornado, pink and brisk, whirled out of the room and into the hallway. The inconceivable force of the vortex began to tear the plaster from the walls and the carpet from the floor.

"Sonia!" Amy cried out to her sister, covering her eyes from the violent winds.

"She's gonna destroy the whole arena if we don't stop her!" Sally said.

Amy shook her head at the girl beside her. "Don't go near her! If you get too close, you'll be sucked right in and shot straight back out. This is her greatest ability. To break it, we'd have to match or surpass her speed."

"This sounds like a job for my Screw Kick." Rouge said confidently, stepping forwards towards the approaching tornado.

Sally's arm prevented her from moving any further. "You've done enough, Rouge." She firmly. "The only person who can stop her is Sonic-"

A dash of blue spiralled over their heads and darted directly into the tornado. The whirlwind flashed in shades of pink and blue before a sonic boom dispersed the winds. They fell to the ground, all quickly rising onto their elbows to see the blue hero protectively covering his sister on the ground.

Slowly rising off of the mighty female, Sonic towering over her momentarily to ensure she was okay. "Sonia? Sonia, you alright?"

His sister groaned, her eyes taking a minute to focus. "Sonic?" She blinked, becoming aware of her senses. "Where is she?"

"Who?"

Pushing her brother off, Sonia sat up and looked towards the bat. A deep scowl soured her features. She jumped back onto her feet and stormed towards her target. "I'm gonna rip you apart, you fucking bitch!"

Sonic rushed in front of her and held her back. "Sonia. Whatever you two are fighting about this time, it's not worth the damage! You know you're not supposed to use that attack in confined spaces! Just look at the mess!"

Though sulking, Sonia looked around at the damage she had caused. Chunks of plaster and rubble gathered on the torn carpet, the floorboards cracked and fragile.

Nevertheless, she justified her actions with the reason behind her anger. "She slept with my boyfriend! He went to her last night!"

"Wha-? Knuckles wouldn't do that, Sonia. He cares about you too much to do such'a thing." Sonic attempted to make her see sense. "Throughout the entirety of your long distance relationship, he never went anywhere near her, why do you think he'd suddenly go to her now? He's proven where his loyalty lies. You just gotta trust him a little more."

Her brother's honesty settled her pulsating blood, leaving her to her guilt and self doubt. "I need to go see him... Explain what happened and all..." She said solemnly.

"Good. And stay away from Rouge. Avoid the drama if you can."

"Thanks, Sonic." She smiled humbly, giving her brother a fist bump before looking back at the bat. "Consider this a warning, Blusher!"

"Please. I've seen bugs more threatening than you." Rouge rolled her eyes.

Smoothing down her attire, Sonia flicked her quills towards her foe and walked off in the opposite direction. Pleased, Sonic turned and walked back to the girls.

"Thanks for stepping in, Sonic." Sally expressed her gratitude.

"No problem. Dunno how I'm gonna explain the damage to the general though..." He scratched his ear as he turned to the mess.

"Simple. Blame it on Sonia's inability to control herself." Rouge shrugged, looking away from the glaring siblings of the girl in question.

"If you hadn't provoked her, she wouldn't have exploded in the way she did!" Amy stepped in front of Rouge, arms crossed in her disgruntlement.

Rouge copied her gesture. "Don't get on the wrong side of me, Pinkie. My problem with your sister has nothing to do with you."

"But it does." Sonic interjected. "She's not just our sister, she's also our teammate. _Your_ teammate. If you can't put your differences aside, your issues affect the rest of the team. This disagreement over Knuckles has gone on long enough. Just drop it."

Not appreciating the lecture, Rouge frowned at the leader. "I'm starting to question the use of being a team..."

Her friend wrapped her arm around her shoulders, smiling empathetically towards the bat. She then turned her attention back to Sonic, informing him of her intentions. "I'm gonna take Rouge outside. Give her some time to think."

"Thanks, Sal." He nodded back at the chipmunk. Watching as they passed him, he empathised with the emotionally distraught woman. "Rest up til the event, Rouge."

"Yeah... Whatever." She said sullenly, holding herself as she walked away.

"That girl has some nerve." Amy pouted. "She deliberately got Sonia angry, then she acts like she's done no wrong. Ugh, she is something else."

"Ames. Take it easy on her, will ya?" He turned to her, seeing her disband her crossed arms and looked at him, confounded to hear his empathy towards their sister's bully. "I know she's got a bit of an attitude, but she's hurting."

"She tried to cheat on Knuckles when they were together. She doesn't deserve any empathy."

"She didn't _exactly_ cheat."

"Huh?"

"Sure, there was a moment of stupidity where she did get the notion to cheat. She flirted with 'em. Got caught by Knuckles and instantly regretted it. Before she could find Knuckles to apologise, he already moved on."

His girlfriend gawped at him, too astonished to believe him. "You mean, Sonia was just a rebound?"

He shrugged back at her. The whole story was complex from the beginning. "I guess she started off that way? It's clear that he saw more in her on their first encounter..." He blushed, uncomfortable by the thought. "If you look at it from Rouge's perspective, she sees the girl that stole her boyfriend. Of course Rouge is partially to blame, but Rouge never liked admitting when she's wrong."

"I still think she deserved it. Instant karma."

The blue hedgehog smiled hopelessly back at the girl next to him before deterring the conversation onto more important topics. "Moving on... I want you to meet somebody."

Amy blinked quizzically. "Who?"

Taking her hand, he guided her down the hall to one of the empty dressing rooms. He stood her outside the door, deciding to mentally prepare her before the grand reveal.

"Back when I was in Mercia, I met one of the heroes already stationed there. He's pretty cool. Taught me to play the guitar, gave me sound advice, and he's a master at archery. But the most important thing about him, is his family."

The girl remained silent, listening intently to her lover.

"Turns out he was one of the survivors in the Mercian attack. His family lost to the war... But one survived. A little girl, given another chance of life... With another family of hedgehogs."

"Sonic..." She breathed out, covering her mouth in shock. He couldn't help but grin as joyous tears sprang to her eyes. "You don't mean... ?"

Taking hold of the handle, Sonic slowly pressed down on it and opened the door. Inside sat the hedgehog, his head raising to see the door opening.

Sonic smiled at the man before turning back to his girlfriend. "Amy... This is Rob. Your cousin."

Rob staggered up from his seat, his insides wrangling a vortex of nerves. He couldn't help his gaze. Wide with amazement and awe. That newborn that was gleefully presented to him by his uncle; so small and delicate, stood in front of him, carrying the strength and responsibility of a soldier.

His kin.

"Rose..." He gasped, overwhelmed with joy. "I can't believe it's you."

"... You're my cousin... ?" Her shock spoke on her behalf. Her legs sluggishly brought her before him, her eyes mimicking his awe.

"Yeah, yeah, you're dad was my dad's younger brother! ... Geez, I can't believe you're real!" He cluttered in disbelief. Steadily, he inched closer, hesitant in his approach. Hands gingerly stretching out towards her. She obliged to his intent, her hands falling on top of his forearms, his holding onto the posterior area of her own arms. "You're really real, and all grown up."

She lightly giggled, looking down bashfully.

He smiled, humbled by the experience. This girl was all he had for family. His search cut dramatically short all due to the young hero. "I don't know how to thank you, Sonic. If it weren't for you, I wouldn't have ever found Rose so quickly."

"Please." Amy intervened, smiling brightly in hopes to not offended. "Call me Amy. My adoptive parents called me Amy Rose."

Rob nodded back at her. "Of course. Sorry, I've just forever known you by your birth name. Amy suits you though." He grinned timorously. "About your adoptive parents... Do they treat you well?"

"I'd say mum definitely does." Sonic commented.

Rob looked to the hedgehog, uncertain of his words. Referring to her adoptive parents as his own?

He gasped. "Wait. You live with Sonic and his family?" He asked his cousin.

Amy smiled back at him, nodding enthusiastically. "Yes. Sonic's lo- b-bl-br..."

Recognising the combined words of 'lover' and 'brother', Sonic's eyes directed to the girl, bowing his head towards her in a silent plea to correct herself.

"Bluh-bru- brother." She stammered. She giggled at her own falter to shake off any suspicion. "That was on the tip of my tongue for a bit..."

The males laughed along with her, Sonic's laughter containing more nerves than Rob's. "Must be pretty sweet to have a speedy big brother looking out for ya." His smile soon faded at the realisation. "If your Sonic's sister, then that means... Oh boy." Rob looked to the girl with empathy. "Your dad is the general?"

"Yeah. But he's not that bad. He can be a little strict at times, but he means well." Amy said, acknowledging Sonic's resentment to the description of their father.

"Still, better me than you." Rob trailed off. "There's so much we gotta catch up on! You probably wanna know more about Uncle Toby and Aunt Cel. Oh, and little Sammy! Then there's my family; your Uncle Gideon." He stopped, remembering a long forgotten memory. "Heh, your brother used to call him Uncle Giddy..." He smiled, bittersweet. "Funny. I never thought I'd miss such little details about 'em."

His head sunk, crestfallen. The pain of their demise still great, even more than he had considered

The pain of their loss was absorbed into the atmosphere, raining down on the younger hedgehogs. A sombre atmosphere akin with the merriment of their reunion.

Bittersweet. Humbly bittersweet.

Tears fell from her eyes, carrying the particles of her make-up down her cheeks. A shuddering whimper escaped her lips as she pulled her cousin into a hug. "Their memories will live on in the both of us. That's the thing about memories. They're imprints in the heart. Even if the pain fades, you still carry the scar."

Sonic looked to the girl, then back to the ground. Her words spoke to him, through different context. His trauma. An unwanted memory imprinted on his heart, bearing an insatiable ache that only worsened with almost every interaction with his father.

Even he questioned just how many imprints a heart could take before it imploded.

Pulling away from his young cousin, Rob smiled at her. "You should come to Mercia in future. I can show you where you spent the first year of your life. Better yet, you could come and stay with me, at my house. Both of you can."

"Both of us?" Sonic livened up. He walked forward, hope bringing glee to his voice. "We can stay with you?"

His eagerness conveyed concern. Like a child, eager for escape. From what, he couldn't imagine. "Uh, well. I mean sure. I don't see why not."

Euphoric, the blue hedgehog forgot himself. His hands rested against the cheeks of the pink girl, his forehead against hers. "We can be free." He muttered, smiling exuberantly.

The man watched the interaction from the sidelines. Awestruck he appeared by the slight brush of his glove against her fair skin. How the hero's smile widened from the intake of her sweet scent. He couldn't help but analyse the lack of tension from the affectionate gesture. Complete trust and comfort for one another. No sign of falter.

And he couldn't help but think; Just how comfortable were they by such an innocent, yet intimate embrace. How close were they to accept this kind of touch?

Amy spoke his name, hushed and alerting, awakening him from his euphoric daydreaming. His eyes opened and focused, instantaneously widening. He stepped back, retracting his hands away from her. No more words were said between the three. The humiliation and makeshift cover-up was displayed from the couple, while a meekly smile was given by the Mercian man.

An unannounced guest broke the awkwardness. Opening the door, the general provided his own thick layer of tension. His son took another step away from the pink heroine, becoming stoic in the presence of his parent.

"There you are, you two... Do either of you know what happened down the hall? The place looks an absolute mess." He said. Looking over to the third hedgehog, he momentarily blinked at him before displaying a fake smile. "Rob." He acknowledged the man. He stuttered, taken back by his appearance. "What are you doing so far from strategics?"

Rob willfully kept his eye contact despite his uncertainty. "I apologise, Sir. I was getting reacquainted with a family member of mine."

"Oh?" He asked, intrigued. "Your records state that you do not have any family... Has that changed? Married, perhaps?"

"No, Dad." Amy took hold of her father's arm, grasping his attention. "Rob is my cousin. He's the last blood relative I have back in Mercia. He's our family." She said with pride, smiling at her cousin.

The information stunted the man's response. His eyes crawled their way up the archer, his fiercely golden eyes penetrating through him. His gaze nerved him. Imtimidating him. "Heh..." He softened his gaze, a warming smile painting on his lips. "Wow. I don't know what to say... Welcome to the family, Rob." He slapped Rob's back fondly.

"Um... thank you, Sir." Rob said nervously.

"Please. Call me Jules."

"Okay, Jules... Sir?"

Bearing another smile, he wrapped his arm around Rob's shoulder and escorted him to the door. "I wish we had more time to get acquainted. Today is just so hectic... You should really come over for dinner real soon. The whole family would love to get to know you on a more personal level."

"Thanks, Sir. That sounds great!" Rob said, amazed by the general's generosity.

"Oh, Rob." Jules shook his head, chuckling lightly at the younger man. " I told you, call me Jules! We're family now." He said, opening the door for the man. "It's almost time for the presentation. You should go freshen up for the show." He told the man, turning to his daughter to offer the same advice. "You should finish getting ready too, Little Petal."

Amy was reluctant to leave. Looking to the blue teen, her lip jittered. "It won't take me too long to get ready..." she stated, gazing back at her father.

He raised an eyebrow towards her, tilting his head questioning her motives. "You want to look your best for the Heroes' Cut, don't you?"

"Go..." Sonic mumbled, keeping his eyes on his father.

Her instincts told her not to go. That the tension was too thick to ignore. But as she turned to see Sonic's eyes fiercely insisting she leave, she obliged, walking towards the door and stepping out of the room with her cousin.

"I'll catch up with you later, Petal." Jules smiled at her before closing the door.

At the click of the door, Sonic witnessed the veil slip from his father's demeanour. His smile faded to a brutish scowl, his features developing a dark malice. Chest slowly rised and fell, the vexation appearing in the quakes of his breath.

"Are you trying to fuck with me?" His dad spoke with aggression.

Sonic shifted uncomfortably. "I don't... I don't know what you're talking abou-"

"DON'T. Don't act dumb." Jules growled, pacing around his son. "You know _exactly_ what you were doing. _Exactly_ what you've done."

"I didn't do anything."

"You interfered in business you know nothing about!"

"What are you talking about?!"

"Rob!" He stepped in front of his son, gold eyes getting dangerously close to emerald. "You two have always been close. Always talking... You lead him to her. You lead him to my baby."

"What?" Sonic furrowed his brows. "You didn't want Amy to meet..." He paused, blinking in bewilderment at his father. He scoffed, not believing the theory in his mind. The unsuitable job offer, three cities away from his relative... A deliberate plan to keep them from one another. "You-" Sonic glowered at the man before him. "You knew Rob was related to Amy all this time?"

"Of course I knew!" The man shrieked in an enraged outburst. "From the moment I read up on his record, I knew who he was. I couldn't risk him getting involved with my child. Filling her mind with possibilities of staying with her only blood relative. The last thing I want is to lose her."

"But you wouldn't have lost her. Even if she knew about Rob, it's not like he's gonna start court proceedings to adopt her. She deserves to know where she came from, who her real family is."

"She doesn't need anymore illusion to convince her that she's not our blood."

His anger had unintentionally spilt his true reasoning for isolating his daughter from her cousin. Rob was living proof of her heritage. With her cousin being a constant reminder that she was not blood related, it held the potential to encourage their forbidden relationship.

All his plans had been to prevent their relationship.

"Geez... Nothing stops you, does it?" He shook his head in disgust. "You'd throw away your daughter's chance of happiness, just because of your own paranoia?" Sonic glared his disappointment.

His expression of shame infuriated the general moreso, resulting in the elder hedgehog springing forward and assaulting his son with a harsh slap to his face. "Don't you **dare** look at me like that. I'll do _anything_ in my power to keep your **disgusting** behaviour be a thing of the past!"

Sonic held his cheek, his disgust never leaving his features. "Even if that means destroying her dream of getting into the Heroes' Cut?" Jules stepped back, horrified by his son's wit. His face relaxed, his lips however wrinkled, sunken with his temper. "I saw your guilt when she spoke to you this morning." Sonic told him, balling his fists tightly. "You kept her out of the team just to keep her away from me. You disregarded her abilities, her aspirations, all because you can't shake this obsession with us!"

"It's not an obsession if it's still going on!" He yelled. "Don't try and deny it! I see you together, talking in the corners. And that hickey on her neck... Are you going to deny that was you?" He leered at the teen, eyes dancing belligerently.

The mastered skills in deception at play, Sonic held his poise well. "She's my sister! I'm allowed to talk to my sibling, aren't I?" His question threw the elder man off his argument. "Yeah, I get it. I should'a let go of that stupid phase ages ago. But I'm over it now and I proved it by tellin' you the truth. Strap me down to your test again, throw me in a chamber, I don't care. You'll get the same answer everytime, because I'm not in love with her."

Jules backed off, still irked by the unanswered questions. "But you know something. I know you know something about that marking on Amy's neck. You're hiding something, just like you hid Manic's problems."

"It's not my responsibility to keep your son in check."

His attitude sparked another attack. The man's hand reached out to his quills and grasped them tightly. Another hand gripped his arm and twisted it backwards as he forced the teen against the wall. "You really do have some nerve, don't you? You're getting an attitude with me now?!" His hand moved from the boy's quill and into his pocket, pulling out a needle. "We'll see how far your lies get you." He said, injecting the needle between his son's back quills.

"Ah!" Sonic grunted, wincing at the sudden sharp scratch. "What the-"

"Just a chip implant. Now you can't hide anything from me for long."

Sonic stiffened, his eyes stopped in time, unable to blink. The remains of his freedom had been stripped, becoming a permanent prisoner to his father. His relationship at high risk, their plans ruined.

Breathing heavily, the boy was engulfed by his wrath. His trapped arm shook violently in his dad's grasp, tearing it away from the general and granting himself freedom. He span around, his balled fist gathering velocity. The fist was swung at the man, landing a shattering blow to his jaw.

The speed of his attack had been an unexpected move. His imperceptible nature and the vigor of his punch knocked Jules off his feet. He flew back, falling against the dressing table. A bottle rolled out from his trench coat, onto the floor.

With a grunt, he staggered to his feet, staring at his son in horror and anger. His son was distracted by the bottle on the ground. His eyes expressing his shock. Following his son's gaze, he too was left mortified by the discovery.

Brodvoxin. The strongest known alcohol, illegally distributed. Untraceable by smell, intoxicating by fumes alone. It was considered a poison, a few sips contained the power to kill. For anyone to withstand it's toxins, they would require the adapted kidneys of a professional drunkard. Even then, the risks of death was high.

A half empty bottle. Undoubtedly one of many.

"Dad..." Sonic gasped.

**Knock, knock, knock.**

His character switched. The maliciousness fading miraculously, a gentle nature taking over. Rising to his feet, Jules snatched the bottle off the floor and placed it back in his military trench coat.

"Breathe not a word of this." He warned his son, before turning towards the door and smiling. "Come in!" He said merrily.

The young genius stepped into the room. A wave of hostile air startling him. He stopped, looking to his idol, then to his idol's father, quickly catching onto the negative energy.

"Tails. Good to see you geared up for the show." Jules attempted light talk. The fox looked down at his work belt around his waist with a shoulder strap. He swished his tails in appreciation.

"Thank you, Sir."

"... Was there anything you needed?"

The boy nodded rapidly. "The, um, production team wants everyone to meet in the under-stage to go over the procedure."

"Ah, yes. Is everybody ready?"

"I've been given confirmation from the men's department. The women are three minutes behind."

"Right... Well then, we'd better get going." Jules faked his smile. "Why don't you go ahead with Sonic? I got a few things to sort out first."

"Yes, Sir." Tails nodded, saluting the man as he stepped aside for the general to exit.

Looking back to his son, Jules held a glint of detestation. "I'll see you, Sonic." He spoke gently, contradicting his gaze. It was an unexposed threat. He'd be watching his every move elsewhere. A fleeting sneer was given to the teen before he walked out of the room, turning right down the hall.

Tails momentarily watched the general leave and then looked back to the man's son. Sonic expressed a weak smile, too distraught to carry such an act. "What happened, Sonic?"

"Nothing much." Sonic shrugged. "We were just talking."

"Ah. Must've been quite the conversation, huh?" Tails nodded. "My cheek also swells when I talk too much."

Astonished by the kid's keen eyes, Sonic turned to the mirror and checked out the swelling. The inflammation was mild, undetectable from afar. He broke his front. "Not much ever got passed you, did it?" He grinned into the mirror, his eyes directing to the child.

"I'm not called a genius for nothing." He crossed his arms, demonstrating his stern demeanour. "Did you have a fight with the General? Couldn't help but notice his lip starting to swell."

Sonic shook his head. Nothing really got past the fox. "Don't worry yourself, Tails. Seriously, it's best if you stay out of it."

"Sonic." Tails presented a stony face. "How long have you been covering for him?"

The teen blinked. "What?"

"How long have you been keeping quiet? Judging by your lack of emotional response to whatever happened with your dad, I'd say you've had years to get used to this treatment."

"Heh..." Sonic chuckled, now turning to face the boy. "Miles Prower; child prodigy, inventor, engineer and psychiatrist." He smiled proudly at his friend. "You're really are something special."

Lowering his head bashfully, Tails looked away to avoid displaying his blush. "Just tell me how I can help."

"Tails." Sonic groaned. "I need you to stay out of this. This is my problem, not yours."

"But you're my friend!" The child declared, his outburst causing him to blush even more. "I don't wanna regret not helping you if things got too outta hand..."

Humbled by the child's loyalty, Sonic reluctantly obliged. "Alright. First, you tell nobody about this."

"But-"

"Promise me?"

"... I promise..." Tails bowed his head.

"Good. Secondly, I need your communicator."

"Uh, sure." He responded, taking the device off his wrist and handing it to the hedgehog. "What for?"

"Just gotta message someone." Sonic told him, punching in the message onto the screen. Upon hitting send, he chucked the device back to the fox. "Thanks, Buddy. I appreciate it."

"No problem. You can count on me, Sonic. For anything."

The hero showed his gratitude through a high five. As their hands collided, Tails' communicator sounded.

"Run it back to me." Sonic requested, referring to the message he had sent through the communicator.

"It says 'room one-zero-eight'."

"Cool. Gotta go!" He said, zipping out the room and taking a left.

The meek smile on the boy's face drooped into a frown. On his word, he would keep his findings a secret. He could only hope his discretion didn't aid his friend's demise.

* * *

Appearing in front of room one-zero-eight, Sonic looked left and right before quickly making his way into the room. Leaning against the dressing table was his sister, Sonia. Geared in her military uniform of black, fitted jumpsuit. Her protective padding on her shoulders and knees coloured a dark, regal purple, matching her purple, heavy boots.

She turned to him, calm and yet stern. "I wish you didn't have to be so cryptic in your messages."

"Where's Amy?" He spoke over her, sounding panicked.

"She just getting her makeup sorted... Why are you so worked up? What's happened?" As she stepped forward, she became aware of his swollen cheek. "What happened to your cheek?"

"That doesn't matter. Point is, I accidentally got carried away this morning and ended up leaving a bruise on Amy's neck. Dad's saw it and now he's suspicious. If he gets to Amy and forces her to talk, it's all over!"

"Wha-" Sonia gasped. "Shit, Sonic! You were supposed to more careful than the rest of us!"

"I know..." He said, ashamed of his actions.

"Wait..." Sonia held her hand out and lightly brushed his bruised cheek. "Did... Did Dad do this to you?"

"No." Sonic responded quickly. "I wasn't watching where I was going." He groaned out his frustration. He had no time for explanations. "I need your help."

"How you do you expect me to help?" Her brother suddenly became hesitant, leaving her wary of his intentions. "Sonic?"

"I'm gonna need Knuckles..." He bit his lip nervously.

"Knuckles? Why do you nee-" Realising what he was planning, Sonia glared at her older brother. "Uck, please. Puh-lease tell me you're joking." The girl scoffed. "I just had a conversation with him about a girl coming between us, now you want me to ask _my boyfriend_ to pretend he's dating my younger sister. Do you know how fucked up that is?!"

"I can't exactly ask Tails to pretend that he's dating a fifteen year old, can I?" He sighed after his irked remark. "I don't have a lot of time or options, Son. Please, I need your help."

She was dwindling on the request. Her own discomfort being a huge sacrifice to the help. The topic of conversation was hard enough. Just how was she supposed to explain to her boyfriend that she needed him to flirt with her sister?

But to see the severity of the situation in Sonic's eyes helped her make her decision.

"Okay. Give me the objective." She said.

"Thanks, Sonia."

* * *

Device in hand, Jules marched with his head down towards his destination. His son's location blinked on the screen, leading him to where he needed to be.

He walked with determination. Determined to finally catch his children and gain some confirmation that he wasn't imagining things. That he had seen the signs. He was going to end this abomination condemning his family and bring them back to the ideal they once were.

Walking further down the hall, his screen flickered, showing his son had moved to another location, the opposite side of the arena. He grunted in surprise, then growled with annoyance.

The screen flickered again. His location shown to be back in the room he had been walking to. Bothered, Jules paused, slapping the device against it's edge.

Again, it flickered, moving to another location, and back to the room.

Groaning, he continued towards the room, opting to check it out regardless of his device's malfunction. As he approached room one-zero-three, he was quick to open the door. What he had seen had left him motionless, dumbfounded.

"Amy Rose?!" He bellowed, capturing his daughter and her companions attention. Breaking the kiss with the red male, she turned to her dad in shock.

"Dad." She gasped, stepping away from the echidna. She shifted uncomfortably, wiping her lip shamefully.

The father stood, perplexed by the birth of more questions. His daughter, in the arms of Knuckles the Echidna... He was certain he had a relationship with that bat on the team. Had he been in a relationship with his daughter the whole time? The bruise on her neck had been by him?

He had been wrong the whole time?

Performing the walk of shame, Knuckles bowed his head as he attempted to walk past the general. "My apologies, Sir."

Jules grabbed the boy by his shoulder, gripping the area with force. "You think you can fool with _my_ daughter and get away with it?"

"Dad, please..."

"You know she's only fifteen, right?" The man leered at the teen.

"This doesn't affect my position on the Heroes'Cut, does it?"

"Dad." Amy pulled gently on her father's arm, grabbing his attention. "Please, just let him go." She begged.

Afraid of causing a scene in front of his child, Jules looked back at Knuckles and gave him a threatening glance. "Leave now. Before I change my mind." He released the boy from his grasp.

"Yes, Sir. Thank you, Sir." Knuckles said, rushing out the room and slamming the door behind him.

The disappointed man looked to his daughter, dishonoured by her behaviour. "Sonic, Shadow... Now Knuckles?"

"I-"

He stepped in front of her, grabbing onto the zip of her black and pink military jumpsuit. He yanked the zip from her exposed cleavage, to her neck, harshly. The quick motion causing his daughter to gasp. "It's about time you start acting like a lady." His eyes glared back at her. "Stop acting like a whore!"

Amy stepped away from the man, appalled by his comment. Nevertheless, she lowered her head, shamefaced. His glare tearing at her self-esteem.

With a huff, Jules turned towards the door and walked away from her. He opened the door and looked back at his child, disappointment sporing from his eyes. "Make your way to the under-stage, now!"

"Yes, Father..." She complied, refusing to meet his eyes.

The slamming of the door confirmed his exit. Within moments, she heard the door open once more. As she looked up, she saw Sonic standing in front of her.

"Sonic." She cried, throwing herself onto him. Her arms wrapped around his shoulders tightly in her need for comfort, her face hiding against his chest. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." She weeped.

"Hey, it's alright. You were great." He soothed her, running his hand over her quills.

She could hear the pain in his voice. His quick hatched plan came at the cost of knowing what she and his friend would be doing. The pain of her unintentional betrayal and the torment of their father was weakening his features, leaving him with little energy to force his pretence.

"We can't stay here long. He'll be watching us." Sonic informed her.

She nodded back at him, her head hanging in shame. "I love you."

"I love you too." He lifted her chin by his index finger and smiled, installing enough reassurance for her to smile back. Planting a light kiss against her forehead, he lead her towards the door. "Come on... We gotta show to put on." He said, mustering all his energy to sound enthusiastic.

Knowing her dreams were to come crashing down on her on centre stage.

* * *

The extensive arena held thousands of citizens in forum seating, encircling the grand enclosure. Embellished were the cascading rings of blue and white spotlights raining over their heads. An abstract chandelier settling a tranquil atmosphere in the midst of the thrilling event ahead.

Amongst the crowd were Jules, Aleena, and Chuck. Sat in the honorary seats at the front of the stage along with the other military families. The mother of four sat between the bothers, proudly lavished in her finest beaded jewelry adorning her neck and wrists. The glistening jewels reflected in the sparkling, blush pink mermaid gown she picked for the special occasion.

"Can you believe this is happening? All of this for our children?" Aleena pridefully cheered.

Her formally dressed husband looked up at the lights above. The makeup covering his bruised lip shimmering slightly in the light. He slowly turned to his wife, raising his eyebrow at her. "I mean, it's more than just for our kids. It's more or less a fundraiser for the heroes project. A lot of ambassadors are here. Also the chancellor."

Chuck yawned deliberately loud, silencing his brother. "Way to take the air out of the excitement, Jule. Just look at this place! There's no way we'd ever end up in such a snazzy place if it weren't for the kids. Throw a bit of praise their way. They deserve it."

"I don't know if Manic deserves it after his behaviour lately..." The wife crossed her arms, frowning with disapproval.

"Aah, he's just a kid going through that defiant phase. Don't you two remember what you two were like at fifteen, because I do." Chuck laughed at their blushing faces. "The kid's a genius, building war machines and weapons from the age of fourteen? I'm sure you can cut him some slack. Kid's trying to relax and relate to his friends."

Jules turned his questioning, raised eyebrow to his brother. "You're justifying him taking drug, underage drinking and disrespecting our home by bringing his plaything back in the early morning? She's not even his girlfriend!"

Chuck shrugged back at him. "Guess I can't see it from a dad's perspective, but as a guy who was once a teen, he's got lots of time to grow and change. I'm not saying he should get away with it, no punishment included, just try and understand why he acts like that?"

The parents looked to one another, both uncertain of their son's behaviour. Was it a mere phase, or an underlying issue?

"Hey, hey!" Chuck nudged the stranger beside him. The man smiled back at him awkwardly. "You heard of Sonic? Sonic The Hedgehog? He's my nephew. Yep, we're related." He bragged. "Have you heard of the strongest girl? Heh, my niece. The genius? The girl holding the strength of fifty soldiers? All related to me."

Shaking his head at his older brother, Jules turned back to his wife and smiled at her, taking her hand in his.

The ambient music faded to a stop, being replaced by orchestral strain. Lights off, ensuing darkness if not for a moment. The translucent screens situated upstage conveyed the opening sequence. Displaying the detriments of war against the evil doctor.

"For too long we have fought."

Images of the soldiers in action appeared on the screen, conveying the hardships they had faced.

"Too much we have lost."

Mercia and Spagonia and Westopolis were a few of the countries mentioned in the loss to the battle. Silence settled. All deeply affected by the tragedy.

"Too many we have lost."

The screen was filled with countless faces. Millions of lives lost to Robotnik and his army. Many lowered their heads, other covering their mouths to hold back their sobs as their loved ones came onto the screens. At the sight of Roger, Aleena bowed her head.

"We are done with losing."

Screens faded to dark once more, showing the silhouette of the blue leader. Cheers came from the crowd, chanting the heroes name.

"Haha! You see him?! That's my nephew right there!" Chuck rejoiced.

"Today, we take a stand."

Footage of the hero's might feats were live, earning the praise of the audience. His mother and uncle jumped up from their seats and applauded, leaving the father to sit back in his seat.

"C'mon, Honey!" Aleena encouraged him.

Jules looked up to his wife, forcing a smile to his face. He could not hold it for long knowing what he had done to the boy earlier that day. Pulling a flask of brodvoxin from his tuxedo jacket, he downed the liquid in second, grimacing at its effects.

"Today. We bring back the fight."

Various footage of the heroes played on the screens. The chants and cheers echoed loudly, their applause deafening.

"The future is now. The future is heroic."

The blue lights came back on, announcing the end to the opening. Another round of cheers filled the arena, settling gradually as a McGrath took to the stage. He stood in front of a podium to the right hand side of the stage, ready to address the crowd.

"Good evening, Ladies and Gentlemen." He spoke into the microphone. "I would like to thank you all for coming tonight, for participating in the makings of our future... Everyone in this arena shares the pain of lose, the pain that continues to spread across the nation as we speak. From the lose of the innocent, to the lose of those who dedicated their hearts to bring Robotnik's tyranny to an end. We cannot accept anymore lose. We refuse to accept it any longer...

"Why's he say that like the fight's just begun. You've been fighting that mad man for decades." Chuck whispered to his brother.

"Of course we have always fought back." McGrath began after pausing mid speech.

"Ah..." Chuck muttered, satisfied.

"For years, our weapons have been obsolete. Doctor Robotnik's army got more and more powerful and our loss grew with them... Now, we have switched our tactics. We won't send out an entire army to him. We'll bring out... Heroes! Unique and gifted individuals from across the world with the ability to tap into ancient power. I'm talking Chaos Energy."

The platform in the centre of the stage opened and rised before them. On seven pedestals rested the seven chaos emeralds. Their radiant glow awed the audience.

"With the power of Chaos, we stand a chance against the Doctor. But not only will we stand a chance, we can defeat him once and for all... We will win!"

The audience screamed and cheered their praise, rising from their seats. McGrath nodded his head back at the crowds, waiting patiently for them to settle.

"Before we procede to the introduction of the heroes, may we express gratitude to the man behind the heroes project? Jules The Hedgehog!" McGrath held out his hand, point towards the hedgehog.

The camera panned over to the man, displaying his image on the screens. As the audience cheered, Jules waved to the camera and smiled bashfully. Chuck jumped beside his brother and waved enthusiastically, pointing to himself and his brother to signal their relationship.

"And now, without further ado, we welcome, our heroes."

The platforms rised from beneath the stage, bringing the heroes in front of the audience. One the left stood Sally, Rouge, Amy and Sonia. Upstage, in front of the screens came Knuckles, Tails, Manic and Rob. The right; Shadow stood amongst a silver hedgehog and lavender pelt cat. Many more rised on platforms behind, all hearing the praise from the people.

In the centre, in the middle of the chaos emeralds, emerged the blue hedgehog from beneath. False smile and elated demeanour was upheld to charm the crowd. As the cameras and light turned to him, he grinned and waved.

"Haha! Look, Alley! There they are!" Chuck cheered. "Hey kids! Heeeeey. It's Uncle Chuck! Heeeeey!"

Peering over to their uncle, the children smiled sheepishly, waving back at him.

Pleased, Chuck fell back into his seat and nudged the man next to him. "Told ya! That's my family up there!"

The heroes took to the stage individually, demonstrating their abilities for the crowd. Every now and then, Jules would take his eyes away from the show and turn back to see the ambassadors sitting in the VIP section behind him, on the floor above. Seeing the mild smiles on their faces reassured him with their funding. Their reactions were all that was required from the event.

Their performances coming to an end, the heroes stood in line, Sonic standing before them. McGrath proudly approached the young hedgehog, placing his hand on his shoulder. The crocodile then stepped forward and addressed the crowd.

"That was a spectacular performance by our heroes. A lot of time and preparation went into their training; not just for today, but for their battles against Robotnik's robots. Incredible, guys. Incredible." The people clapped for the heroes. "Now, we will declare the top ten heroes who will be placed in Sonic's team. I wish you all the best of luck, heroes."

Standing to the side, Sonic stood next to McGrath and listened to the announcements. His smile began to crumble at the edges, knowing his lover was going to be heartbroken by the results.

"Tenth place, we have Knuckles the Echidna!"

Sonic turned back to his friend and smirked, pleased with the choice.

"Ninth; Miles Prower!

The fox rolled his eyes to his full name being announced. After spotting the blue leader grinning back at him, he smiled back and stood appropriately.

"Eighth; Rouge the Bat!"

Rouge smirked towards the echidna, making him look away, disgruntled. While hurt by his repulse, the women held her charming smile, waving to the crowd as they applauded her.

Seventh; Sonia the Hedgehog!"

Her smile vanished. Looking to the girl beside Amy, she saw her snickering back at her.

"Sixth; Sally Acorn!"

Sally bowed her head towards the crowd. Smiling appreciatively at their glee.

Fifth; Shadow the Hedgehog!"

Hearing the name deter away from the females, Amy's eyes darted towards the dark hedgehog then back at McGrath. Anxiety stiffened her shoulders. She told herself to listen to the remaining four, praying her name would be called out.

"Fourth; Silver the Hedgehog!

Baffled, the team looked to the unfamiliar hedgehog. The silver pelted hedgehog based from Soleanna bowed his head back at his team members.

"Third; Blaze the Cat!"

The girl nodded at the announcement of her name.

"Second; Tangle the Lemur!"

Amy looked to her boyfriend, her fears glistening in her eyes. Her intense staring made him look back at her. His features portraying his sympathy. He knew of the decision. The decision to not keep her on the team.

She shook her head, quick and frantic. She didn't want to believe it. All her hard work couldn't have been in vain.

Yet he stared back, remorseful and sympathetic.

Unable to hold her gaze, she looked down at the ground, holding back her pain of heartbreak.

Sonic turned back to face the audience, sharing the pain of his lover. A look of resentment was given to his father. This pain was caused by him. All the pain Amy and himself held was all because of him.

"And finally; We have Whisper the Wolf!"

The absence of her name brought the tears trickling down her face. She held back her sobs as her heart rumbled and shattered within. Her dream; gone. In moments. Her friends and sister carrying her dream on her behalf.

All that time. Gone.

"These heroes are entrusted to take on Robotnik. But it will take all of our hope, all our determination to rid our future from the mad Doctor. Today, we all come as one to bring a future, free from the threat of Doctor Robotnik, and his robotic army!"

A standing ovation was given to the heroes on stage. Jules too joining the crowd. Looking back briefly, he saw the ambassadors and chancellor standing up and clapping. He smiled. A successful evening it had turned out to be.

**BOOM!**

Bricks and rubble fell from the ceiling, crashing down towards the stage. Alarmed, Sonic dashed forward and grabbed McGrath, pulling him away from potential death. The arena broke out into frantic screams, the people cowering in their seats.

"Anyone call for pest control?" Robotnik sneered, his egg mobile appearing through the gaping hole in the ceiling. He was thrilled to hear the cries of terror from the people.

"Eggman!" Sonic glared at the man.

"Tsk! Why?! Wh-Wh-Why must you call me by that name in front of new people?! Now they'll just know me as the round guy or Egghead or something. Not cool, Sonic!"

"Now's really not the time!" Sonic growled.

"Oh, but of course. I wouldn't want to ruin your grand evening. Let me come back later..." He mocked his nemesis. "You really think I run on your schedule?! With all these people in one place, I can exterminate you all at once! Thank you for your cooperation."

He clicked a button on his wrist controller, summoning his robots into the room. Egg Hunters flew through the hole, making their way throughout the arena. They fired lasers into the crowd, resulting in chaos. The people ran for their lives, disorderly and rushed, towards the exits. Many being trampled in the stampede. Screams and cries howled amidst the explosions from the lasers destroying everything in sight.

Controlling the evacuation, Jules commanded the people to remain as calm as possible and exit in threes down the rows leading to the exits. He felt someone grip his arm, forcing him to look towards them.

His wife was looking back at him, petrified for the safety of her family. "Jules!"

"Sweetness. You have to get out of here!" Her husband demanded.

"Not without you or the kids!"

"We'll fight them off, just go!"

"I'd rather die than lose any of you!"

"Don't talk like that. They have trained for this. We all have."

"But you're my family! You're more than just the saviours! You're my everything!"

Another explosion came from above. They clinged to one another as the building shook violently. "You really need to get out of here!" Jules yelled over the screams.

"Jule-"

"I will not lose you! I'd sooner die than lose you! Get to safety and I'll protect the kids. Please, Aleena, please!" He begged.

At the sound of another explosion, Aleena agreed. Giving her husband a sentimental kiss, she ran up the isle, finding her brother in law looking around frantically for her. Jules sighed with relief and turned back to see the heroes fighting off the robots.

Spin dashing an egg hunter to the ground, Sonic looked up to the doctor, the smile the mad man beared left him suspicious. He wasn't watching the destruction his robots were causing, nor the fight between his creations and the heroes. He was watching the evacuation, partially the exits.

As if he was watching them fall into a trap.

He jolted at the alarming thought. With the heroes distracted, the evacuees were defenceless within the skyscraper city.

"Knuckles, Tails. Assist me in evacuation." He turned to his lover, summoning her to the team. "Amy." He smirked. "You're gonna get your chance to crack that egg."

She gawped back at him. "But the cut-"

"We're kinda in the middle of an emergency here. Take it or leave it."

Amy giggled softly and nodded back at him. "By your command, Sir."

He chuckled to the authoritative title before turning to the other fighters. "Shadow, you're in control here. Destroy the Egg Hunters then meet back outside!"

Shadow nodded back at him and continued to fight off the flying robots.

"Sonic! Take the chaos emeralds! We can't risk losing them." Tails informed the leader.

The leader agreed. Stretching out his hands to the emeralds, he began to absorb them. The mystical gems vibrated on the pedestals and slowly levitated towards him. As all seven emeralds became one with the channeler, the hedgehog felt the overbearing sensation of darkness settling in.

He grunted, his body shaking violently. The sensation was aberrant, far beyond anything he had experienced in his past experiments with chaos. The blackened memories of his grief flashed before him, choking him with overwhelming affliction.

His fur darkened, his former cobalt shade visibly fading. Dropping to his knees, he grunted and growled as the darkness consumed him.

"Sonic?" Amy stepped forward. Calling his name made his head shoot up and look back at her. To her horror, she witnessed his emerald eyes fade to glowing white sclera. "Sonic!"

Hearing his daughter scream his son's name, Jules turned to see the leader succumbing to the negative energy of chaos. His eyes widened, mesmerised and stunned. His negative thoughts outweighed the positive.

They were all in danger of his uncontrollable, wrathful power.

"Sonic!" Jules yelled, rushing over to the hero.

The leader leapt to his feet, turning to the voice of his father. His head twitched, a crooked sneer coming to his face. Flying towards the man like a bullet, he grabbed his father by his neck and forced him down onto the stage floor. His chest heaved as he crushed his father's neck in his hand.

"Sonic!" His family rushed over, grabbing the torso of their brother and attempting to pull him away.

"Oh, my..." Robotnik watched from his egg mobile. "This is just awful... watching a father and son neck 'nd neck. I love it!" He laughed raucously. "Finish him, Sonic!"

Stepping in front of the diabolic scene, Shadow threw a chaos sphere at the doctor's egg mobile, malfunctioning it.

"Curse you, Shadow!" Cried the doctor, forcing the machine to fly out of the arena with immense struggle.

Spinning on his heel, Shadow held out his hands and channelled the chaos energy from the blue hedgehog. The fur of the hero gradually faded to its original colour, his eyes returning to their emerald state.

Sonic blinked, disorientated. "Huh?" He focused his eyes to find his father falling into a state of unconsciousness beneath him. Realising his hand was the culprit to his father's condition, Sonic leapt back, forcing his siblings down with him. "Dad!"

"What the fuck happened?!" Manic yelled at him.

"I don't know. I-I absorbed the emeralds. That's never happened before."

"You're filled with negative energy." Shadow told him. "Chaos emeralds feed off your emotions. Whatever you're feeling, save it for after the battle. This is not the time to get emotional."

He stuttered, not believing his own actions. Had he let his emotions get the better of him? It had all happened so abruptly, he couldn't remember how he came to strangle his father.

"Go, now!" Shadow demanded. "Assist the evacuation!"

"Y-yeah... I'm on it." He breathed out. Spinning into a spin dash, he shot through the hole in the ceiling, heading towards the doctor and his robots.

"C'mon! We don't have time to waste!" Knuckles lead Tails and Amy out of the arena and outside to the battle. Preparing themselves in battle stances, the three readied themselves to take on the hoard of Egg Fighters ahead.

* * *

Frequent explosions lit the streets outside the arena as the egg fighters bursted into scraps and bolts. Together, the four smashed through the armour plating of the robotic foes and reduce them to smoke.

From afar, their audience watched in awe and fear, cheering for their safety and victory. Amongst the crowd were Aleena and Chuck. With crippling anxiety, they watched the battle, powerless to help.

"Get me in close, Tails." Sonic instructed. Holding onto his teammate's hand, he was carried above the gathering of egg fighters, preparing to bowl them to pieces.

"On it." The fox said, lowering them closer to the robots. At perfect range, the child span around with the hedgehog in tow. He hurled the teen into the collection and covered his eyes from the flash of blue that triggered the ignition, a ball of smoke wafted into the air, blackening the nightfall blue. Erupting from the smoke, Sonic spin dashed into the sky, looking down at the standing foes remaining. He counted sixteen. An even divide.

"Sonic! Tag team with me!" Knuckles called out.

Seeing the echidna running towards him, Sonic grinned and held out his hand, ready to catch him on his take off. The echidna leapt into the air, grabbing the leader's hand and together, they span vigorously, forming a sphere of purple. The spinning attack bounced between four egg fighters, each one exploding into flames on impact.

Landing on their feet, the pair skidded against the concrete, looking to the destroyed scraps of metal dropping to the floor.

"Nice." Sonic praised his friend, giving him a high five before rushing back into the fight.

"I will not lose this fight so easily! Egg fighters, head for the crowd and show 'em what you can do!" Eggman ordered from his egg mobile.

His shoes screeched against the ground as the blue blur came to a harsh halt. Turning back to the crowd, he gasped to see the robots heading for the innocent bystanders.

"Amy, with me!" He said, running towards the girl and grabbing her arm. In the rush towards the citizens, Sonic's ear pricked at the sound of a bending metal. Peering back over his shoulder, he saw an egg fighter picking up a car from its hood. The car was launched into the air and into the crowd. Transfixed in horror, the citizens were unable to move.

"Ames, how hard can you throw that hammer?" Sonic asked quickly.

"Pretty hard. Harder if I'm launched with it." He looked back at her, shocked and disapproving of her idea. "We don't have time to negotiate, throw me!"

Bringing his strength into his arm, he threw the girl into the gathering. Copying her lover's signature move, she span into a ball, surpassing the speed of the flying car and expelled herself from her confinement. Summoning a large hammer, she swung it back and batted the vehicle out of the sky.

They landed in the centre of the crowd, in front of the petrified men and women who had been moments away from getting crushed. "Are you okay?" She asked them. They nodded back at her, anxious and traumatised. "All of you need to get out of here! Head south towards Sky Cutter Hotel!"

"Amy!" Her mother shoved her way through the people.

"Mum, lead these people to the hotel on Albane Street. Quickly!"

"Y-yes. Of course!" Aleena nodded back at the heroine. "You heard her, this way!" She called out to the citizens, pointing south.

"We're rooting for you guys." Chuck told her as he rushed passed. "Come on, everyone! Move, move, move!"

Spin dashing into the mass of people, Sonic grabbed Amy's arm. "Come on!" He said, jumping away from their mother and back into the fight. "Nice swing by the way. How about you use that power on me?"

"What?" She raised her eyebrow at him.

"I'll be the ball, you be the hitter." He smirked, spinning into a ball, ready for her swing.

While not fully approving of the plan, Amy took aim for the egg fighters and batted her boyfriend into them. His body penetrated through each robot, blasting them into scraps.

"Fire!" Eggman screamed, pointing towards his arch nemesis.

Guns cocked and fired towards him at blistering exhilaration. Grinning, Sonic teased the doctor by avoiding each bullet while dancing. The man's angered growls encouraged him further. Flipping back, he dodged the ammunition, yawning as they passed.

"You pest! Can't you just stand still and take it?!" The man slammed his fist onto his control panel.

"You want me to stand here and get shot? Are you trying to cheat, Doctor?" Sonic snickered. "That's just playing dirty!"

"What do you expect from a supervillain?! Do you know nothing about supervillainry 101?!"

Looking over his shoulder, Sonic smirked to see his friends destroying the rest of Robotnik's robots. His distraction with conversation kept the doctor away from battle.

"I didn't even know supervillainry 101 was even a thing! Is it a course? An informative book?"

Pleased by the boy's fascination, Robotnik searched through his storage compartment for the information on supervillainry. "I like to carry this around just incase any little rambunctious scallions want to know the 411 on the 101." He said, proudly holding up the book. As he looked down, he realised his deconstructed robots laying across the road. Sonic and his friends stood in a row, smirking back at him.

"It's over, Egg-breath!" Sonic declared.

"What? But the supervillainry-"

"Sorry but I already picked a side. Villainy ain't for me."

The doctor growled. "Grr! You little blue pineapple! You tricked me! Now whose playing dirty?"

Ignoring Eggman's complaints, Sonic turned to the pink hedgehog. "Care to do the honours? You wanted to bring Eggman to justice, now's your chance."

Amy looked down at her hammer before looking back at the leader with a confident grin. Placing her foot in the male hedgehogs hands, she held her hammer tightly as she became airborne. Higher she rised until she was face to face with the man that had taken so much from her.

Swinging her hammer back, Amy glowered at the doctor. "This is for my family." She proclaimed. Her hammer smashed into the side of the egg mobile, knocking the man out of the sky.

"Aaaaah!" Robotnik wailed. His flying device spinning around violently in the air. His figure minimised with his distance until he was out of sight.

"Tails?" Sonic called upon the fox to catch the girl. He watched him grab the girl by her hand and gently lower her back onto the ground. The blue hedgehog rushed over to her, giving the girl a high five to congratulate their victory. "Way to go, Ames."

"That was amazing!" She cheered. "Right in the centre of the action, taking on the that Egghead's goons and to actually knock him out of the sky? Ugh, it was all so exhilarating!" She giggled ecstatically.

He smiled meekly back at her, knowing this would be her only chance of being on the front lines. Her dream lived only for a minute. Her desires for her dreams to live on growing evermore stronger.

"You!" A man's voice hollered from behind the heroes.

The four turned around to see the citizens approaching them, clapping and cheering to their victory. An ash grey chimp in formal tuxedo lead a group of men and women behind him, all stepping in front of the people.

"You there, heroine." He summoned Amy. Intimidated, Amy timidly stepped forward. "You saved us from our peril. We are in your debt."

"Oh it was nothing, honestly." She assured him, blushing lightly.

"It was all we needed to convince us that Project Heroes is worth the funding! You have the support of Eurish." He bowed.

The ambassadors stepped forward, bowing and curtsying before her.

"Northamer stands with you."

"Soumerca stands."

"Please, accept the offering of Yurashia."

"May you accept the fundings from Efrika."

"Midesta is honoured to stand with the heroes."

Overwhelmed, Amy stepped back, astonished. Sonic took to her side and assisted her through the conversation. "The honour is all ours."

"B-but I'm not in the Heroes' Cut!" Amy exclaimed out of nervousness. She covered her mouth instantly.

The chancellor frowned, displeased. "The heroes have our investment, only if this heroine is apart of it. It is all well throwing a pompous ceremony, but to see you all in action against that wretched Doctor Robotnik is truly what we needed to see. And we have seen enough. This young woman is who we wish to see defending the people from Robotnik."

The breath was stolen from her lips. She stuttered, astounded and shaky. The reality hit hard, smacking her in the chest and stitching her broken heart back together. She gasped loudly, sobbing equally high-spirited in her delight. "Yes." She nodded. "That's all I've ever wanted."

"Then it's settled!" The chancellor clasped his hands together. "We'll arrange a meeting with you authorities and get the proceedings underway." He bowed once more before the heroine. "Until next time... uh..."

"Amy." Sonic stated on her behalf. "Amy Rose... um, Sir."

"Amy Rose. Ah yes, 'The Beloved Flower'... May your story continue."

"Thank you, Sir."

Nodding his head, the chancellor and the ambassadors walked away, blending into the incoming crowd. Standing to the side were Aleena and Chuck. Having heard the conversation, the hedgehogs rushed over and expressed their joy and relief to the children.

"Oh my babies. My beautiful, brilliant babies." Aleena cried, pulling Sonic and Amy into a smothering hug. The pair grunted in her embrace, smiling nevertheless. "I'm so proud of you both." She cheered, pulling away from them and pinching their cheeks fondly.

"Alley. Not in front of their friends." Chuck laughed. He stood proudly in front of the pair. "Give a show of a lifetime, save the day, earn enough money to buy the entire city and show those dolts in that HQ who really deserves to be the heroes. Not bad, you two. Not bad at all."

"Eh, we try." Sonic smirked.

The symptom of wooziness caused the pink hedgehog to stumble back. Sonic grabbed her waist before she could hit the ground. "I made it... I made it to the Heroes' Cut."

"Rightfully so, dear girl. After that collision, you've convinced the entire world!" Chuck praised her.

"Thanks, Uncle Chuck." She smiled, climbing back onto her feet.

A round of cheering made the heroes turned towards the arena. From the entrance, the other heroes walked out and stood before the people. Amongst the heroes stood Jules, clinging to his son and daughter for support.

"Jule?" Aleena gasped, power walking towards her husband. Pushing through the crowd, she rushed over to her spouse and children. "Jules, Jules, honey. What happened?"

"Why don't you ask Sonic?" Manic questioned bitterly.

Jules raised his head, frowning at his son. "That's enough from you." He ordered. He removed himself from his children's support and wrapped his arm around his wife's shoulders. "You two go ahead and celebrate." He insisted.

Without another word, Manic walked along with his sister towards the others. His youngest son looked back at him, concerned for his well-being and baffled by his insistence to protect his older brother. After he had nearly killed him, he did not deserve the recognition of the hero he was currently receiving. Keeping his emotions hidden, Manic turned back to the others, joining in the celebration.

"Are you alright, honey?" Aleena asked, running her hand down his cheek.

"I'm fine. Just some... technical difficulties with the chaos emeralds. I'll sort it out." He turned to face her. "Are you okay? You're not hurt, are you?"

She shook her head, smiling pridefully back at him. "Amy saved us all from a collision. The chancellor and ambassadors included. Thanks to her heroic act, they've all agreed to fund your project."

Shock consumed his features. "What?"

"I know!" Aleena rejoiced. "She's recognised as a hero, Jules. They want her in on the Heroes' Cut. They know her as 'The Beloved Flower'. I'm so proud of her. Well, all of them really."

"Oh, yeah... Very proud." He lied. Directing his attention to his eldest son, he held a contempt, threatening glance. The blame of his foiled plans being served to his eldest child.

Looking over to his father, the boy's smile slowly faded. The ferocity beyond anything he had seen. His eyes shifted, anxiety settling in. it took all his strength to force his exuberant nature for the rest of the evening. Knowing his punishment would become severely more merciless in the coming hours.


	11. Deadly Passion

Chapter Eleven: Deadly Passion

Laughter. Laughter of innocence. Laughter containing joy. This sense of joy, he could vaguely recall. It's origins leaving him clueless. The only familiarity associated with the memory were the feelings that came with this laughter; security, warmth and who knew, for a moment, perhaps it was the feeling of love?

The joys of that little boy rang through his mind, escaping from the shadows of his darkened past he had locked away. It was haunting, tormenting him to his bereaved surrender.

Suppress it.

Tipped back went the whiskey bottle into the general's throat, the intoxicating liquid guzzling down the oesophagus and into his system... But the relief never came. If anything, the echoing laughter got evermore profound.

Leaning back in his office chair, Jules's head fell back, a half satisfied intoxication with his anguish seeping through. He brought the substance back to his mouth, desperate for release from his woes. The burning of his organs were secondary pain to the agony that consumed his mind.

That laughter. That sweet, innocent laughter.

 _"_ _How about we go on a little trip today?_ "

"No..." He muttered, closing his eyes tightly. His teeth grinded against one another with enough force to chip the ivories.

_"Just don't tell your father, okay?"_

"No... no... no." His distress burdened into his tears and streamed from his bloodshot eyes. The visions accompanied the audio of his past, adding to the already excruciating pain. That day it had all began. The day he realised his family was not a family at all.

_Giddy yet apprehensive the infant appeared. Stood on the last step to the stairs, he watched with hopeful eyes as his mother_ _fiddled over the appearance of her hair in the mirror. Beauty defined and highly maintained she was in the absence of her husband. Subtle makeup of natural tones to compliment her rich green hue._

_To match her efforts in cosmetics, she dressed herself in_ _sophisticated captivation. A beige polo-neck jumper tucked into her sleek, black pencil skirt. A belt around her waist clinched the fabrics tightly to her shapely body. Along with her black heels, she was destined to turn heads._

_He smiled with pride at the person that was his world. Innocently he admired her elegance, blissfully of her traitorous intent._

_"Come on, boys. We don't want to keep Uncle Gray waiting." She said optimistically, bouncing on her heels in her excitement._

_"I don't feel well..." Charles mumbled._

_His mother stunted, her vivacious nature no more. Spinning back on her heel, her eyebrows dipped heavily, demonstrating the lack of patience she held for her son._

_"You'll feel better on the way there. We've planned this trip for weeks! Don't ruin this for your brother." She scolded him._

_He recalled turning to his brother with his own scowl. He blamed his brother for his attempts of ruining their big adventure. Little did he know of his brother's efforts to protect his innocence._

_Opening the front door, the mother took off towards the car. Wrapped up in her ecstatic excitement, her children were left in the home to make their own way down the front garden._

_Letting out an exasperated huff, Charles grabbed his brother's hand and walked alongside him toward the vehicle at the end of the driveway. Closing the front door behind them, Charles sighed. Yet again, his mother's lack of responsibility came with the unlocked door. He endeavoured to lock it, but with his impulsive, impatient younger brother tugging and pulling on his hand, the simple task became difficult._

_"Hurry up! We'll be late!" His mother yelled at her eldest child._

_He grunted beneath his breath while he struggled to hold his brother. Mentally, he pleaded for his mother to just step in and take over. To take her responsibilities and ease his overburdened mind._

_His efforts were unsuccessful. Hyperactive and exuberant, Jules broke free of his grasp and ran around the garden, flailing his arms in excitement and laughing uncontrollably._

_"Julie, dear, Come on." She coaxed her youngest child to walk to the car. Enthused, he jumped towards her, his display of joy managing to aggregate his antsy mother. "Hurry up! We don't have time for this!"_

_However her complaints barely registered with the infant, for his excess energy from the euphoria had him bouncing merrily across the front lawn._

_"Fuck sake..." She grumbled, getting out the car and marching across the grass. She roughly pulling the boy up off his feet and into her arms._ _"Charles!" The mother screamed. "Get in the car, now!"_

_Hearing the intolerance in her voice, Charles rushed to the car and strapping himself in. He watched his mother resentfully place his younger brother in his car seat and rushed back to the driver's seat in a frustrated rage._

_Sighing her anger away, she checked herself out in the rear view mirror, being attentive to any flaws in her looks. "All set?" She asked the boys._

_Hesitant of her temper, Charles bowed his head. "The front door's unlocked..." He spoke timorously._

_As he predicted, his mother expressed her annoyance."God sake! Must I do everything around here?!" Complained the mother as she flounced her way out of the car and towards the house._

_Though sensing his mother's anger, the young hedgehog's delight for the upcoming trip couldn't be hampered. Weeks of keeping his mother's secret adventure to himself had finally paid off. With his father on deployment, the adventure could finally begin._

_He was itching to find out exactly what his mother had planned._

_Seeing his mother return to the car resulted in his instinctive wild kicking. He giggled excitedly in his seat, oblivious to his older brother's sorrowful, silent demeanour._

That day had seemed so usual. No different to a minor blip in routine; like a last minute trip to the supermarket, or a spontaneous trip to the park. It left him blind; openly blind to the trauma he would later face.

_"Okay, boys. Here we are! Stellar Land!" Their mother chimed, turning back to them with a delighted smile._

_Looking out the window, his eyes dazzled in reaction to the variant colours that graced his golden eyes. Bright lights flashing before him begged for his attention. It was easily given. Enthralled, he stared at the entrance to the amusement park, wide smile stretching to maximum dilation._

_It took a minute for him to look back at his mother. His bewitched being was met with overwhelming awe by the twinkle in his mother's eyes. He wasn't certain he had seen it before. Possibly too young to remember, but in that moment he truly believed that was the first time he had seen the exuberance in her sparkling blue eyes._

_"Does Dad know Gray is joining us?" Charles leered back at her._

_The glimmer of elation settled down, the life-lacking dullness returning to her stare. "Charles, don't_ _start. This is a fun day out with a friend. One for you and Jules to enjoy."_

_"Friend? So he's not our uncle?" His_ _questioning disgraced her._ _She was foolish to underestimate her son's logic. He was fully aware of the situation; Uncle Gray being the lover of whom was not known by his father. Though she insisted Gray was family, she gave little effort to hide the nature of their relationship in front of him and his younger brother._

_Her reasoning could only be truly understood from her perspective_ _. She was unhappy in the marriage; as a homemaker. While her husband provided for her and their children, his traditional values hindered their relationship. When back from deployment, his time was spent with the boys, instilling the roles of a man into them, providing maintenance to the house, or out with his friends._

_There was minimal time for her. Minimal being the frequent quantity to his efforts to keep their marriage afloat. She was starved, malnourished of love and excitement. She wanted to live, to feel like she was more than a mother, a chef and a maid._

_She deserved more. For her son to not see that was inexcusably selfish. "Why do you have to be like this? Do you want your mother to be unhappy? Are you gonna ruin my chance of happiness?"_

_The infant turned to his brother and pouted. His child self blaming his sibling for his mother's misery._ _Only with maturity could he realise her tactic of manipulation._

_"... No ..." Charles gave in from his sustained stare. His head becoming heavy_ _with devastation. He was to remain powerless to his mother's intentions; a victim of her motives._

_"Good. Now, let's go._ _" She insisted, getting out of the car and freeing her infant from his car seat._

The last few hours of genuine happiness were spent at that amusement park. All the security and guiltless lack of responsibility voiced in his gleeful laughter. Running through the park, arms uncontrolled in the air, legs bouncing forcefully off the ground, unmatched smile plastering his face; he was exultant.

And then; it was all gone.

At the end of his run was his father, stood at the end of the pathway. Away from his deployment and in pursuit of his wife; he had found what he had speculated.

It was the last time he had seen Gray. The dark toned cat was given the offensive warning to leave his family alone with a harsh punch to the nose. While the sight of violence and anger left him affright, it could not prepare him for what was to come.

The roaring arguments, the brutality, the drink and perpetual lies. All he had felt from those few hours in the park were never to become familiar to him again.

"Stop... Please... Stop." His jittering voice pleaded vocally with his mind. He dropped his heavy head onto his desk, his tears gushing across his face and onto the mahogany woodwork. Small sounds of anguish disintegrated into the air. No matter the volume of alcohol he ingested, the relief was unattainable.

His quenchless need for relief brought on the suppressed guilt accumulated over the years. It came to him like a twisted creature in his mind, snarling menacingly as it tortured him with a different laughter, one that grappled his heart so vigorously.

The laughter of his precious little boy.

"N-no. No please!" He wailed, his shaking hand reach for the whiskey bottle, the uncontrollable jitters deteriorating his motor skills.

Visions of the young blue hedgehog crowded his consciousness. Seeing him running wild, hearing his laugh, not forgetting his beautiful smile. Such an innocent, beautiful smile.

His eyes wondered to the photograph of his children and himself sitting on top of his desk. The picture taken by his wife to commemorate the first day Amy had joined their kin. To see the triplets so happy, to see himself genuinely happy...

Made him see how hollow he had become.

Hastily, he ripped open the bottom draw to his desk and moved the fake board out of place. Beneath, he found one bottle of Brodvoxin. Just enough to rid his mind of the pain.

He snatched the bottle eagerly and hurried to remove the lid. A final glance at the photograph, his eyes fell on the smile of his eldest son before the tears blurred his vision.

"I'm sorry." He whispered, a quaking inhaled breath catching in his throat. With equally quaking hands, he brought the toxin to his lips, desperately guzzling back the poison. The searing pain within distracted him from his psychological agony.

With his intake more than he could sustain, his upper body slumped over, his head hitting the desk with a loud thump. Eyes rolled to the back of his head, their lids slowly closing over them. "I'm sorry..."

* * *

The day he had previously anticipated was greeted with the sullen behaviour of the blue hero. His original plans for romance were foiled, any newly concocted ideas being poor substitutes. Chipped and monitored like a wildling, he was to be confined to his home, prohibited from expressing his love to his girlfriend.

It made him rather envious of his family members. Having the privilege of privacy, they all had plans for the evening; Sonia would be heading to some restaurant with Knuckles, Manic was most likely up to something for the eve and of course, his parents would be partaking in their share of romantic activities.

And Amy? Overtly forbade to be within metres of the hero. If he was to remain locked up in the house, she was to be forced out of the house until supervision was acquired.

That would've been the plan, had Manic not suggested a loophole in his father's knowledge.

Under the illusion that his youngest daughter was dating the gruff echidna, all Amy had to do was leave the home with Knuckles, let her parents go to their romantic evening, and then head back to her beloved. Ergo, everyone could enjoy their evening while avoiding suspicion from the father.

It was an all-round win.

Other than the substitute for tropical weather, soft sands and warm hues of orange, pink and red painting the sunset. The closest thing they would have to the desired destination was warmth from blankets. Worse, due to his inability to travel anywhere without the anxiety of being watched, he had been unable to come up with any ideas to make his evening with Amy truly special.

He was fortunate to have an understanding girlfriend such as her. No disappointment was shared, little lost of satisfaction to know their plans would be dramatically diminished. As she had told him, there was no better place to be than right by his side. Her confidence towards her statement and the glow of her beguiled eyes could only support her claims.

Yet his own insecurities couldn't let him shake off the fear of disappointing her. Not only was this date ruined, but their entire relationship sat on the brink. His dad had seized complete control over his every move, leaving him reluctant to express his love for her out of fear of getting caught. Though she also understood his reasoning to be withdrawn and cautious, he could see the pain he was causing her with his neglect.

He couldn't afford to lose his only source of happiness.

The weighty emotions wore heavily on his head, clouding his mind. Thoughts parading around, blaring their sentiments to induce a headache. Soon, he would regain some peace. With the touch of his lover's soothing comfort, his grief would be once again put to sleep.

Closing his bedroom door behind him, his eyes hung as low as his head, peering down at the red hoodie he clinged to over the past week to hide his more unappealing discolourations he had amassed. The punishment he received for his outburst at the arena and Amy's acceptance into his team had been exceptionally, yet expectedly ruthless.

Forcibly taken to the Bethalegion forests, he was beaten mercilessly before being dragged towards the lake. Too senseless to be fully aware of the familiar surroundings, he was given a wake up call by the bitter cold waters filling in chest. That burn he remembered all too well.

Dipped twice, he ingested more of the fresh waters on the second round after coming round and realising the situation. He screamed. immutable cries of immobilising fear. Upon throwing himself away from his father and the lake, he vocalised his terrors into the tranquil forest, his screams travelling through the trees.

Then there was quiet.

Neglected by his father, the hero laid on the cold, pebbled ground, legs retracted to his abdomen in a firm lock. He held himself, unconstrained tears falling onto the rocks beneath him as the unsettling sobs unwillingly released. He divulged his struggles to the trees around him, their whispers offering to soothe his pain.

It had been long passed midnight once he had made his way back home. His emotions spent, he spoke not a word of the punishment to his family. Only with the sceptical eyes of his lover did he reveal what had happened.

To everyone else, he had gained a sense of fashion.

Another click to a door made him look up from his hoodie. On the opposite side of the landing stood the pink hedgehog. She slowly turned away from her bedroom door to see him staring back at her. A delighted smile grew on her lips, compelling him to express the same gesture.

She hurried over to him, her arms instantly finding their way around his neck. Instinctive were her lips to cling to his own and engaged him in a salacious dual.

Anxious, he pulled away from her, surveying the area with diligence.

"Sorry." She gasped, looking down at his hoodie. "Did I hurt you?"

"No, no. I'm fine..." He assured her, his eyes still bouncing in every direction. "We're just a little... exposed. Where're Mum and Dad?"

"Mum's at work until four and Dad has locked himself away in his study doing who knows what." She smiled flirtatiously and brought herself closer to him once more.

"Probably keeping an eye on me." Sonic hypothesised. Despite his bitter expression, his hands shortly found refuge on her hips. The small touch providing enough comfort to conceive a genuine smile.

Amy scouted the corners of the landing, searching for any surveillance cameras potentially out of sight. "I'm sure he wouldn't breech the privacy of his whole family just to catch us..."

She was met with the risen eyebrows of her boyfriend, his head tipped forward to express his disapproval. She giggled coyly, acknowledging her naivety. "Don't underestimate him. He's proven too many times what he'd do to maintain his ideals." He reminded her.

"True..." Her eyes began to drift around the landing once more, shortly settling on the bathroom door. She grinned. "I know one thing for certain." She said as turned back to her lover. "He's hardly gonna spy on everybody when they're using the bathroom."

His eyes peered over to the bathroom. A cunning grin soon appeared. "A plausible blind spot." Looking back at his girlfriend, his grin widened to hear her squeal as he picked her up and raced into the bathroom. Secluded in discretion, they indulged.

An aching yearn was enthusiastically emptied on their connection. His fears and woes seemingly dissolving from the heat of her longing. The cure to both of their turmoil; ending his shrouding gloom and her starvation for his attention.

Perched on the granite countertop, she was titillated by his tender touch. His delicate handling against her back held the power to stimulate her nerves. A brush against her hip and affectionate caresses down her spine reacted the pulsating sensation to rattle through her. Muffled her sounds of satisfaction emitted from their kiss. His response was a smile against her lips, his own enjoyment adding to her thrill.

With his melancholy eased, his thoughts became occupied with her . She engulfed his entire mind, every thought creating bursts of warming hormones exploding throughout his consciousness and raining the comfort and security he had craved. His security brought confidence. The confidence to return the favour for her sweet medicine.

His hands seeped beneath her oversized shirt and clinged to her waist, slowly bringing them, along with the fabric, upwards to disrobe. He caught the brief second of surprise she conveyed in her pause before she blissfully sighed away her apprehension. Though acknowledging her nonverbal consent, he nevertheless broke the kiss and kept his hands near to her ribs, refusing to go forth until she was equally comfortable.

"You alright?" He questioned in a whispered tone.

Amy nodded back profusely, a coy persona making her claims less believable. Reddened cheeks across her face and lips slightly puckered from his departure. Her appearance post kiss left him enamoured. "Yeah, yeah. Why'd you stop?"

"You hesitated."

"Oh... Didn't realise I was that obvious." She giggled bashfully. Avoiding his eyes, she bit her lip, fearing she had let her fears take over the moment. "Sorry... I messed it up, didn't I?"

"No." He responded, lowering his hands back to her hips. "I just don't want you to be uncomfortable."

"I'm not. Really, I'm not. I want this more than anything... It's just-"

"The guilt?"

That particular emotion spewed onto her face as she brought her eyes to meet his own once more. "Yeah..." She admitted. Frustrated, she tipped her head back and sighed heavily. "Ugh, I'm sorry. I should be over this by now."

"Hey, don't worry about it. That feeling is hard to shake." He assured her.

"You seem to be pretty good at handling it."

Lightly blushing, her lover looked down at her lap to hide his sheepish smile. He chuckled away his nerves. "That's because it hits me afterwards. In the moment, I just think about how lucky I am to have you and how much I love you."

Ceasing her motion and ability to blink, she gawped at him, getting lost in a moonstruck bedazzlement. The sensation of her heart radiating within gained the priority of her emotions. Guilt still present, though gradually subsiding.

Huffing away her hesitation, she took control of her thoughts and her surroundings. Swiftly, her shirt was discarded to the ground. Liberated both mentally and physically.

Taken back by her sudden actions, Sonic laughed, stifled and subdued as he bowed his head.

"There." She breathed out. "No more worrying." Amy smiled back at him, placing her hands against his forearms.

"You know you really don't have to force yourself, Ames. There's no rush for anything." He told her, lifting his head to look back into her eyes. His sincerity communicated through his gaze.

"I'm not forcing myself." She interjected. "I don't want to be held back by these emotions anymore. I want to be like any other couple. I want us be able to go out together without looking over our shoulders, to tell the world that I'm madly in love with you... And I get that we can't. I accept that we need to be discrete. But the very least I want to do is show you, in the deepest form, just how much I love you. Without fear. Without this guilt of circumstance."

Her sentiment was strongly shared. Today being the day he would've made these desires come true. And while he intended to give her an exceptional first date, the potential of their relationship to advance had been a thought. He knew of her inability to shake the shame, so the subject was never bought up.

If she was willing and determined to rid herself of the shackles of their parents' indoctrination, perhaps she just needed a little encouragement.

Although, maybe it was best to not make that intimate leap in the bathroom.

Bringing her hands to sit in his own, he planted a single kiss of endearment on her lips. "We'll get over the guilt together. When we're both ready."

"But I-"

" _When_ we're both ready." He repeated, smiling reassuringly back at her as a silent promise of their intimate copulation.

Returning a submissive smile, the girl giggled playfully and pulled the blue boy back into another kiss. He fondly reciprocated her love, his arduous approach leaving her swooning.

A pounding at the door brought their hearts to their throats. Ripping apart from their kiss, the couple gawped at the door, nauseated with quickened heartbeats. The handle rattled vigorously, followed by another round of heavy knocking.

Sonic grabbed the shirt off the floor and handed it back to its owner. Looking around the bathroom, he searched for a hiding spot. "You go. I'll hide."

"Hide?" Amy furrowed her eyebrows at her boyfriend, arranging her shirt after having dressed herself. "Where do you intend to hide? In thin air?"

"Have you got a better idea? Because I'm all ears."

"Actually, I do." She told him as she hopped off the counter. Turning towards the door, she called out and made her presence known. "Just a minute!"

"Amy?" Her brother's voice came from the opposite side. "Are you growing pretty in there? Hurry up!"

Relieved to hear his voice, Amy walked towards the door. Upon grabbing the handle, she instructed her boyfriend to hide behind the door until she was certain he was alone.

Opening the door, she was met with an impatient Manic. He stood before her, frowning with his arms crossed. "Took you long enough..." He complained.

"Sorry, Man..." Amy apologised. Seeing no one else around, she directed her eyes towards her boyfriend, signalling their safety.

Her signal was noticed by the green hedgehog. Stepping forward, he budged her out of the way and peered behind the bathroom door. His eyes were instantly met with the eyes of his brother, how they danced with blindsided astonishment.

"Heh... Hey Manic..." Sonic smiled sheepishly.

A sneer grew onto his younger brother's face. "What were you two doing in here?" He interrogated the pair, immediately regretting his questioning. "No, wait. Don't tell me. I don't think I wanna know..."

The looks of embarrassment on their faces was enough to answer his question.

"If you're needing sanctuary, you'll be pleased to hear that the room is free. I'm gonna be in here a while." He told his siblings as he ushered them to the door.

"Thanks, Manic..." Sonic said, turning back to face his brother on exiting the bathroom.

"Yeah, yeah. Just let me take a dump in peace." He said, being brisk to shut the door behind them.

"As charming as ever..." Amy said.

"Manic wouldn't be Manic if he didn't have anything crude to say." Sonic commented. "Still, he speaks a lot of sense. We'd better head into my room."

Flirtatious smile and suggestive eye contact lured him to follow her as she took his hand and heeded his recommendation. Walking into the bedroom, he closed the door behind them, securing their rendezvous for another moment.

* * *

Reclined on top of his bed, the hero lounged in the company of his brother while his sister and girlfriend embellished themselves for the romantic occasion.

Fingers smashed on the console controllers in strong competition. The green hedgehog sat on the floor beside him, cross legged and tongue hanging from his mouth from his fierce determination; showing as much emulous aggression as he displayed.

"You're not bad for a novice." Manic taunted his brother, grinning at the partial side-eye Sonic had given him.

"I was just about to say the same thing to you. Are you sure you played this before? Mum could play better than you."

Manic snorted. "I bet she could." He played along. Focusing back on the combat game, the brothers perdured a comfortable silence.

"So, what you got planned for tonight?" Manic eventually broke the peace.

"Not much, just staying in..." Sonic answered, his disappointment could be easily mistaken for disinterest.

The green hedgehog returned the previous side-eye he was given. "You didn't plan anything?"

"It's a little too risky to do anything local." He lied, his frown undeniably displaying his contempt for the situation his father had forced him into.

"I guess... But I thought you'd take her somewhere out of Central City. I don't know, somewhere far? You are pretty much the fastest thing alive, you might as well use your speed to your own advantage."

Sonic hesitated to respond. Bearing the pain and frustration he tolerated from keeping the dark secrets. The words he longed to speak curled beneath his tongue. Only more lies were released to protect his younger brother from the bitter reality.

"It's too much to risk, Man. I'm lucky enough to get time alone with her today, without Mum or Dad around."

The genius nodded in return, a valid argument. Had he been in such a ludicrous situation, he wasn't sure he would want to risk exposure either. Being caught with anyone was awkward enough as he had previously experienced. To be caught dating your relative? He cringed at the thought.

The lack of privacy sounded monstrous and all. "So you haven't had sex yet?" He blabbered out, his face gave away his shock.

Blushing lightly, Sonic kept his eyes fixed to the TV screen. "You say that as if that's the leading factor to a relationship..."

"It is in mine..." Manic laughed away his awkwardness. "So that's why you're eager to be alone tonight."

"No it's not-"

"Yeah, sure... You can cut the virtuous act now. You don't have to act like the righteous hero around me. I'm your brother. There doesn't need to be this... pretence between us."

"Tsk..." Sonic breathed out. He was somewhat baffled by his comment. Had he really come across as pretentious and meritorious in his eyes? "I guess I've thought about it..." He admitted.

"I'm surprised you lasted this long to be honest. You two have been together on the down low for how long and you haven't tried anything?"

"It's not that simple."

His brother paused the game and stared quizzically at him. "Okay, just how virtuous are you? You know how to do it, right?"

"Of course I know how!" Sonic quickly confirmed. His cheeks threatened to combust in their sweltering heat. "I meant there's a lot more to it than just sex. There's guilt involved... This overwhelming shame for feeling the way we do for eachother." He sighed, dropping the controller onto his bedsheets, he sat up and held his knees close, looking down solemnly as he spoke. "Whenever we try to get close, those feelings take over and stop us from going too far."

"Because Mum and Dad don't approve?" Manic speculated. His theory was confirmed by the blue hedgehog. He scoffed. "Fuck what they think."

"What?"

"If you spend your whole life trying to cater to everyone, you're never gonna be happy. You don't see me abiding by any rules."

"That's because you're a hell of a lot braver than I'll ever be." The eldest smiled.

His admiration came as a shock to the rebellious teen. Such admiration he refused to believe was genuine. "Yeah right. I've simply learnt that following rules not only makes you unhappy, but it also makes you invisible. A backdrop to someone else's vision." He appeared momentarily stern. Resentful and acrimonious. Leisurely, he rose to his feet and sighed away his venomous temper. "So, yeah, fuck what everyone else thinks."

The blue hedgehog paused, taking in his brother's message. Not only for the advice, but for understanding. His once docile and sensible brother had changed to counteract the feeling of neglect he felt from his parents. All of his questionable behaviour was a defiant cry for the nurturing he desired. An essential necessity given to the more challenging children rather than him.

He wasn't the only one to be a victim to their parents.

But unlike Manic, he didn't have the option to rebel. Something his brother wouldn't understand.

Watching the green teenager walk towards his bedside table, he saw him open the top drawer and pull out two packets. "Here." He chucked the packets towards his brother. "Whatever you do, make sure you have one of those. And you better treat her right." He threatened. "You may be my brother but she's my little sister. If you hurt her, I'll fuck you up."

Blinking in bewilderment, Sonic snorted before proceeding to break down into a fit of laughter. "You've been wanting to say that for awhile, haven't you?"

Manic laughed along with him. "You know Sonia doesn't need any kind of brotherly protection."

"I wouldn't say Amy does either."

"But she's my youngest sister so it's different."

"I guess so." Sonic said, placing the contraception in the pocket of his hoodie. "Thanks, bro."

"Don't mention it." He said, sitting on the edge of the blue boy's bed. "Give it to her good."

A wave of awkwardness washed over them. Both stunned to silence after what was said. Gormless, Sonic broke their silence. "Did you just re-evaluate what you said?"

"Yeah..." Manic said, full of regret. Hopping off the bed, the green hedgehog walked towards the door, humiliated. "I'm gonna go wash my mouth out with soap... or bleach." He said, scurrying out the door.

Chuckling faintly to his brother's mortification, Sonic turned his attention back to the contraception. Pulling them out of his pocket, he considered the possibility of either one slipping out should he be running anywhere anytime soon. Looking back to his bedside table, he chose to place them in the top drawer, securing them beneath the miscellaneous books and papers. If and when the time came, he'd find them.

His first priority was to ensure his parents stayed well away for the evening. With his plan in place, he could only hope it all went accordingly.

* * *

Fiddling with her hair, Amy intensely stared at her reflection, being particular over every feature she possessed. Nervous yet enthused, she held a beaming smile, one that emitted her joyful emotions.

Her sister leaned over her shoulder, looking at herself in the tabletop mirror. Her emerald eyes peering over to the pink hedgehog, she reflected her smile.

"Someone's excited." Sonia commented, her eyes set on Amy's reflection. Her intrigued smirk indicated her knowledge of her evening plans. Surprisingly so; she nor Sonic had breathed a word of the potential occurrence.

"Aren't you excited about Valentine's Day?" Amy asked.

"Of course. It'll be my first Valentine's Day spent with Knuckles. I intend to go all out." She said. Standing upright, she took a step back and admired her fitted black dress. "You must be pretty nervous and all. First Valentine's Day, first date... Possibly your first time?" She grinned back at the blushing teen.

"Did Sonic tell you?"

"No. It's written all over your face; the nerves, the excitement, the anticipation." She smiled empathetically to her sister's embarrassment. How she looked down at her lap to avoid her gaze. "Don't be embarrassed. I've been there, you know."

Her jade eyes glimpsed back into the mirror, showing her attention was on the fuchsia hedgehog. She watched as her sister walked towards her and took both of her hands, lightly tugging her to stand and follow her to her bed. She conformed, sitting on the edge of the bed and turning her body towards Sonia. Her sister kept her hands around hers, her reassurance displayed in her hand gesture and smile.

"The first time can magical... But it's important to remember the consequences that come with it if you're unprepared."

Amy leaned back, uncomfortable and stupified. "Wait. Are you giving me the talk?"

"I'm giving you advice! It's not always like the movies where everything is perfect and the setting is romantic. It can be spontaneous and sudden... And before you know it, it's over." Sighing softly, Sonia looked down, regret on her face. "I was too young when I lost mine. Too eager to impress Knuckles and ended up rushing into it. Like, I'm grateful that we ended together because of it, but if I could go back and change it, I would."

The remorse on her face left the younger girl concerned for her sibling, as well as for herself. She had been so determined to see passed her own feelings of shame, she hadn't considered the possibility of regret afterwards. In fact, she hadn't considered many aspects. The only thing she had thought about was her love for Sonic transitioning to the most intimate form.

"... Why do you regret it?" Amy asked, sounding more genuine.

"Many reasons. First being the setting. It was in a forest, in the dark. Even in the summer, it was cold and it was on the ground... Not particularly comfortable or luxurious... Then there was the business with Rouge..." Again, she sighed, her lips drooping with every example. "Knuckles was still pretty hung up over her after finding out what she did to him. We went from giving each other suggestive smiles and harmless conversation over the summer, to having sex... All because he was heartbroken and I was infatuated with him."

"Oh..." Amy looked down.

"Plus it was unprotected sex. Luckily I didn't come back pregnant." She laughed faintly through her emotional reflecting. "My point is, just because it's Valentine's Day, that doesn't mean you should feel pressured to do anything you're not ready for."

"But I am ready."

Sonia stared back at her, reading her facial expressions. She squeezed her hands gently and leaned forward. "You're absolutely sure?"

"Yes." She answered with confidence. "I sympathise for the situation you found yourself in, I really do... But I'm not wanting this because Sonic does. He was the one who insisted on waiting... I want to share everything I am and everything I have with him. After everything we've endured to be together, I want to give him all that I can." She could feel the tears build up in her eyes as the image of her lover came to mind.

"Don't start crying. You'll get me going too." Sonia chuckled, sniffling away her emotions. She smiled wholeheartedly at her little sister, providing another comforting squeeze to her hands. "I already know your experience will be different to mine. To give yourself to someone you truly love and to know they feel the same way, nothing compares to it."

"Thank you, Sonia."

Blinking her tears away, Sonia sniffled, bringing her arms up to invite her sister in for a hug. "I'm so happy for you." She cried.

Wrapping her own arms around Sonia's waist, Amy squeezed her gingerly. "I'm happy for you too."

They parted from their hug, smiling through their tears. "Gah, everytime I say I won't cry, I end up a mess. Now my make-up's ruined." She said, wiping the blackened tears away. To distract herself and aid her sister, she handed her an array of candles from the top of her drawers. "Take these. They'll help make the place romantic. And please, please, please remember about protection. It would've been bad enough if I ended up pregnant, I can't imagine how Mum and Dad would react to you having a baby."

"I will." She nodded in agreement.

"Good." The elder sister nodded back before turning her attention back to her reflection. "Right, before I fix my makeup, show me your cover up."

Rising from the bed, Amy threw her pink and white striped jumper over the white mini dress clinging to her body. A pair of black leggings were placed over the skirt to hide the eye catching dress beneath.

"Perfect. They won't suspect a thing." Sonia approved. Hearing the sound of her communicator, she looked at her wrist and shrieked in panic. "He's coming! Oh my gosh, I'm not even ready!"

Rushing to their shared dresser, the girls frantically scattered the elder sister's makeup across the surface and got to work on readying the elder sister for her date.

Fluttering stirrings overwhelmed her stomach. Their freedom only moments away.

* * *

Jules slouched in his armchair, his piercing stare never leaving the young man. His finger tapped the fabric of the seat, an outlet for his irritation and disdain towards the echidna.

Knuckles remained poised. Keeping his tact and respect for the general. Sat upright and hands on his lap, he made occasional eye contact with the father. Though fearless by the glare, the intensity caused him some unease.

"It's a pleasure to be taking your daughter out for Valentine's Day, Sir." Knuckles said, hoping to break the ice with his commander.

The blue hedgehog scoffed. "I bet it is... Having the privilege to take my daughter out should be the _only_ pleasure you'll be getting tonight. Understand?"

"Yes, Sir."

"I'm not talking to you as your commandant, I'm talking to you as a father. A father to two indescribably beautiful daughters." He said, sitting upward, he leaned forward and intensified his gaze. "If you intend to date my youngest daughter, I expect you to have only the best intentions for her. No messing around, no quick flings. Because so help me, if you so much as make her cry, I'll end your whole career."

Swallowing back his nerves, Knuckles complied. "Understood, Sir."

Overhearing the teen calling her husband 'Sir', Aleena came to the boy's rescue. "Oh Jules. Leave the boy be." She smiled at her husband as she placed an earring in her ear.

Taking his eyes away from the crimson male, Jules looked up to see his wife standing behind the sofa. He instinctively gasped, jumping to his feet in amazement. She fashioned a red midi dress with a side slit bearing her knee. With her dress, she wore heels of the matching colour. An outfit that had grasped his attention and caused his heart to skip a beat.

"Oh..." He fell head over heels, walking towards her in a stupor. "I'm not worthy of your beauty, Sweetness."

"I beg to differ." She smiled flirtatiously, placing a brief kiss on his lips. "Mm." She grunted. "Is that whiskey on your breath?"

Jolting slightly by surprise, he played off the volume of alcohol he had consumed throughout the day. "I may have had a shot to loosen myself."

"Julie." His wife scolded him. "You're supposed to be driving."

"I still can."

Tutting at her husband, she walked towards the kitchen. As she took a few steps, she was close to be knocked over by Sonic who had dashed passed his mother and stood in front of his friend.

"Hey Knux." Sonic greeted the boy.

Knuckles rose from the sofa and gave his friend a fist bump. "S'up. Is she nearly ready?" He questioned, referring to his real date rather than the fraud.

"I 'unno." Sonic rubbed his nose, a previously discussed signal to alert the red male of the girls' short arrival. "Sonia and Amy have been locked up in their rooms all day. Chaos knows what they're doing."

"Probably making unnecessary fuss over what outfit to wear." Jules speculated. "Which means you'd better be appreciative of my Amy's efforts." He informed the guest. Knuckles nodded back, already eager to leave.

"Jule." Aleena muttered in a scolding tone. Her husband tutted back at her and walked into the kitchen, eyeing the boy as he passed. Shaking her head at her husband's overprotective behaviour, she turned back to the guest and smiled to give her apologies for her husband's attitude. "So, Knuckles. Where are you planning on taking Amy tonight?"

"Restaurant Swa. I know how much she loves Spagonian cuisine."

Sonic eyes widened after hearing his friend's mistake. He had referred to Sonia's favourite rather than Amy's.

This mistake was recognised by the father. "No she doesn't."

Realising his error, Knuckles hesitated to respond, not wanting to make another blunder. Sonic too remained silent to keep himself out of his father's suspicions.

"I'm sure she'll enjoy it anyway." Aleena told the teen, desperately wanting to ease his anxiety. She turned her attention to her son. "And what are you doing tonight, Sonic? Are you taking Sally anywhere nice?"

Puzzled yet intrigued, the echidna looked to the blue hero, interested to hear how he would answer the question. According to HQ gossip, he and Sally were strictly platonic. His mother on the other hand had other news for him.

Sonic gawped at his mother, astounded by the question. He had forgotten the lie he had followed regarding his relationship with Sally. A rookie oversight. "N-no. She's, uh, going out with Sonia."

"Oh... Why's that?"

"Sonia was complaining 'bout being single on Valentine's Day, so Sally suggested they go out on some girl's night."

Nodding her head wearily, Aleena took pity for her son. "That's not really fair on you to miss out on Valentine's Day."

"It's no big deal. I can just chill out around here." He shrugged back at her.

His father was still unconvinced. "I wasn't aware she and Sonia were that close. Now that I think about it, wasn't she close to Rouge, who doesn't seem to get along with your sister?"

"Sally's in the middle." He responded quickly. "She wants to be there for Sonia but is also loyal to Rouge."

"Right..." Jules said, wary. He examined his son's expression, no signs of anxiety in his obvious lies. "And your relationship with Sally... How's that going?" He stepped before the teen, his eyes blinding with suspicion.

_Fuck..._

Unintentionally, his mother had dropped him into a lie too easy to detect. In hindsight, he gathered he could've suggestive a rift in the relationship, throwing off the suspicion of his father while answering his mother.

The eyes of his father said it all. He had caught him in his deceit. "Fine..."

As though he was saved by Chaos himself, his sisters rushed down the stairs and into the living room.

"We're ready!" Sonia declared, demanding everyone's attention.

Unconstrained violet eyes softened in a lustful daze at his girlfriend. Dressed in casual blue jeans and leather jacket, his lover nonetheless had him mesmerised.

And vigilant eyes of the general slowly trailed from his daughters, to the echidna. Originally expecting him to be smitten with his youngest, he was astonished to see him bewitched by his third child.

He reserved his judgement, piecing the clues together.

"Hi Knuckles..." Amy greeted her fraudulent date, awkwardly kissing his cheek.

"You look nice." He complimented her.

"Thanks." She smiled, avoiding his gaze.

His puzzle was getting more and more solvable. "So, Sonia. Where're you heading tonight?" Her father asked.

"I'm meeting Sally in Central City. Gonna be a girly night." She responded casually.

So his daughter was lying too? Going along with some arranged plan? Or perhaps his son had been genuine in regards to her plans with Sally? If that were the case, why was the echidna gawping at her rather than his date? Why did he and Amy seem so uncomfortable amongst each other?

His puzzle was suddenly more complicated.

"Alright. Well, make sure you're back by 10pm."

"I can live with that." Sonia agreed.

"And you?" He said sternly, turning back to Knuckles with his wagging finger. "I want my daughter back at 9:00pm."

"Jule..." His wife reprimanded him.

"9:30pm..."

"Jule..."

"Fine. 9:45pm, and that's the latest!"

Standing to attention, Knuckles bowed his head. "You have my word, Sir."

Handling his finances towards his children, Jules lead everyone, save Sonic, out of the house. He opened the car door for his wife and waved his daughters and Knuckles off. As he got into his car, he watched his children walking along the path.

"Is everything, Honey?" Aleena asked her husband.

"Yeah... Just piecing things together." He said, starting the engine to his car, his attention was too preoccupied to see his wife's bemused expression.

"What do you mean?"

"Don't worry about it." He smiled reassuringly before fixing his rear view mirror. "I think I've figured it out."

Driving off the driveway, he slowly drove pass his daughters and opened his wife's window. "You sure you guys don't wanna ride?!" He called to them.

"We're fine, Dad. Go and have fun!" Sonia told him, waving to her parents.

"Love you both." Jules said before driving off.

"Love you!" His girls yelled. Whether their calls reached their father or not was not a concern. As they saw his car fade into the distance, the pair smiled at one another, their plan a success.

"Are you heading back now?" Sonia asked.

Amy nodded. "Yeah. Don't wanna keep my boyfriend waiting." She insisted, being weary to not say his name in front of her sister's boyfriend.

Knuckles however was too invested to keep quiet on the topic. "Who is this boyfriend of yours?"

"Knuckles." Sonia muttered to him. "I told you already. You don't know him."

"He seems to be causing a stir in the family if you're all keeping it a secret."

"Knuckles, it's honestly for the best if you stay out of it. Trust me." Amy said.

The teen huffed. "I'm already apart of it. I'm a big part in this lie of yours, and no offence, I can't say I'm comfortable being touchy with my girl's little sister."

Linking her arm in his, Sonia leaned against her lover's shoulder to calm him. "I'm sorry you're caught up in all of this, Babe. We'll make sure you're not put in that situation again. We'll think of something." She said as she looked back to her sister. Amy nodded back at her in gratitude.

"Let me take your stuff." Amy held her arm out to her sibling.

"Oh yeah." The fuchsia female pulled down her jeans and gave them to the pink hedgehog. Her black dress was pulled to the correct length and her jacket unzipped. "So, how do I look?" She grinned at the male.

As before, he stared in a captivated bewitchment. "Whoa..."

"I knew you'd approve." She giggled. Giving him a light kiss on the cheek, Sonia shortly looked back to Amy. "Good luck tonight, by the way."

A light blush found its way to her cheeks. "Thanks..."

"Now go! Your time is precious!"

Giggling with excitement, Amy waved to the couple and rushed back to the house. Overcome with giddiness, she found herself running along the sidewalk, a child-like glee.

o - o - o - o - o - o - o

Stood outside the house awaiting Amy's return, Sonic tapped his shoe against the ground impatiently and mildly anxious. His slip up in front of his father could most definitely backfire on him. With his dad's paranoia now festering away with his uncovered lies, there was a chance he had kept Amy hostage with him and his mother, maybe he cracked the whole charade and he was planning something in return.

Now he too was paranoid.

"Chill out, bro." Manic advised his brother, breathing in the fumes of the vofegon root between his fingers. "Your spines are threatening to attack me." He watched the quills becoming razors.

"Sorry." Sonic breathed in heavily in an attempt to calm himself. "I'm a little worked up."

"I'm sure she'll be heading back about now. A simple plan like that can hardly fail. If he can believe Knux would wanna date Amy, they'll believe anything."

"Maybe..." Sonic agreed to disagree. The dad he knew was too paranoid to believe what he saw. Everything would've needed to be perfect in order for the plan to have no consequences. Perfect, it had not been.

Choosing to distract himself, he looked to his brother and made conversation. "What are you doing tonight anyway? Are you taking Kelsey out?"

"Mm-mm." The teen muttered, breathing out the smoke. "Nah. She's going out with Aaron. I'm taking Morganna out."

Squinting his eyes, he stared at his brother. "Who's Aaron?"

"Dude we hang out with."

"... And you're cool with the fact that she's seeing someone else?"

Manic gave an equally puzzled face back at the blue hedgehog. "Didn't you hear me say I'm taking another girl out? Besides, we're not exclusively dating so it's not a big deal."

"Does she know that you know she's seeing someone else?"

"Yeah. She did try and hide it at first but..." A grin formed on his lips. "Didn't take long for me to find out. So I returned the favour."

His brother's grin left him curious. "What happened?"

"I slept with him. Made sure she walked in and saw it."

"Manic." Sonic laughed. "That's a next level of petty."

"I wasn't being petty." Manic said. "The guy's good looking and really knows what he's doing. Know what I mean? I'd be stupid to turn him down."

"But you made up with Kelsey, obviously."

" _Obviously._ " He empathised, taking in more of the fumes. He breathed out the smoke in short puffs. "The three of us made up. Think we were all satisfied with that entanglement."

Shaking his head, Sonic exhaled a short breath. "You really have some stories, don't ya?"

"Oh yeah. Lots of 'em. I would divulge a little more but I wouldn't want to tarnish your virtuous ears."

"Shut up." He shoved the green hedgehog lightly. The pair chuckled, easing the blue hedgehog's anxiety. "Thanks, Manic. I think I'm alright now."

"Ah, you see. It pays to hear the adventures of Manic the delinquent." He jested.

A glimpse of pink caught their eyes. Looking towards the girl, they smiled to see her; Sonic moreso than his sibling.

"That's my cue to leave." Manic said, putting out his narcotic. "Catch you later, bro. Don't do anything I would." He teased, holding out his fist to bump his brother's.

Instead, he was shocked to be pulled into a hug. "Love you, Man."

The words of affection were as shocking as the spontaneous hug. Blinking his astonishment away, Manic slowly returned the hug, patting his brother on the back. "... You too..."

Pulling away from the blue boy, Manic nodded back at him before turning on his heel. He walked down the driveway and deliberately bumped into his younger sister, smirking as she turned back to glare at him.

As she walked up to the front door, she beamed a jubilant smile at her boyfriend, earning a smile just as big as hers. Opening the door, Sonic waited for her to walk in before following her. He made sure to lock the entrance behind him.

Spinning back on his heel, his girlfriend dropped the clothing in her hand and stretched both arms out wide. Leaping into his arms, she giggled in her delight. His arms fell around her, gingerly squeezing her and placing his head against hers.

"I can't believe that worked." Sonic said, in disbelief of their triumph.

"I know. My stomach was in knots the whole time." She told him. Stepping back from their hug, she bought her hand to rest on his cheek. "But I'm better now I'm with you."

Another broad smile lit his lips. "Finally... Only problem is, we have so much time to burn, I dunno what to do with it."

"First things first." She snickered, pulling off her jumper and following that discard with her leggings. Pulling down her dress, she awaited for the reaction of her lover.

His mind frazzled, stunting any potential vocabulary. Eyes spellbound to her being. He feasted on her beauty, too many angles to decipher and still all greatly observed. His perception exemplified her as a deity wrapped in a majestic aura. Her subtle makeup, her glossing hair and head-turning outfit all contributing to his lovestruck condition. Knowing her efforts had all been for him succeeded in melting his heart.

The lack of words and dumbfounded staring left her questioning his response. Vague signals of his reaction were given; reddened cheeks, lips parted and spines standing on end. She was certain he was charmed. His unblinking stare however had her second guessing.

"Sonic?" She tried to break him out of his daze.

Letting out a short breath, Sonic blinked, focusing back on his girlfriend. Still in an infatuated befuddlement, he bought her back into his arms. "You look amazing."

"Really?" His compliment had triggered a radiant smile.

"Without a doubt." He grinned. "You're playing with my willpower, that's for sure."

Her lips relaxed, falling agape ever so slightly in her seduction. "You know you don't have to hold back..." She spoke softly, her eyes filling with amorous implications.

Despite the temptation, he held back from indulging. There was a whole evening ahead. He didn't wish to rush to the potential finale. "I know. But for the time being, I'll keep holding on." He told her, caressing her cheek lightly after seeing the disappointment on her face. He released her from his hold and took her hand in his. "So, whatcha wanna do?"

Raising her brow at her lover, she walked ahead of him and lead him up the stairs. Compelled by his curiosity, he willingly followed her to his room and closed the door behind him.

o - o - o - o - o - o - o

"Yes!" Amy cheered, throwing her fist into the air.

"Oh c'mon! You cheated!" Sonic complained, gesturing his hand to the TV screen.

Sat upright on his bed with his girlfriend resting between his legs, the couple competed against one another in Brutal Combat. With two to one lead, Amy grinned at the victory she held against the blue hedgehog, knowing his defeat was crushing him internally.

"No I didn't. I just learnt the combos rather than smashing buttons!"

"Pfft. Learned combinations... More like learnt to hack the game!"

"Aw... Is my baby upset because he's losing?" She patronised him, bringing her hand up to caress his cheek.

Huffing at the girl, he pushed his body against her and prepared himself for another round. "You'll be the one that's upset in a sec."

"Bring it on, Blue Wind."

Hands gripped tightly to their controllers and eyes engulfed in contentious flames, the pair entered another round of virtual combat. With Sonic's technique being speed and defence, his girlfriend's was more focused in strength and endurance.

His character dodged most of her attacks, causing Amy to groan with frustration. "Stay still already!"

"And let you win? Yeah right!"

He had gotten cocky in his avoidance. As his new strategy, he would evade and attack. Hitting her character in the back before retreating and going in for another assault.

"You're so annoying."

"And you love me for it." He snickered, injuring her character til their power bar was near spent.

Too frustrated by his gameplay, Amy tapped in a combination for a special attack. Her character grabbed Sonic's and slammed him into the ground. As it let Sonic's avatar go, Amy slammed down a double kick to the abdomen, knocking the opponent down.

"What?!" Sonic yelled.

"I win!"

"But- How di- ... Grr..." He slumped against his pillows and pouted at his defeat.

Looking back at her boyfriend, Amy giggled and rested against his chest. "You look so cute when you're sulking."

He held his pout for a moment before succumbing to a contented surrender. "I will beat you in Brutal Combat one day. But good game this time round." He congratulated her with a light kiss against her lips.

"You were pretty good yourself." She praised him, healing his bruised ego. They moved in for another kiss when they stopped at the sound of the pink hedgehog's growling stomach.

"Your stomach is just as demanding as you are." He teased, snickering at her offended expression.

"I'm not demanding!" She denied, sulking before him.

"I'm just messing with you. What'cha want to eat?"

"Hmm..." She contemplated to herself. "I really want something sweet."

"I'm afraid cannibalism is frowned upon."

"What?" She tilted her head.

The blue boy smirked back at her. "Think it through..."

It took her a few seconds to realise he had suggested she was sweet. "Oooh. Aw..."

Chuckling to her realisation, he gently moved her out of his lap and got up from the bed. In a flash, he vanished and instantly reappeared with a leaflet and home phone. "How much did Dad give you?" He asked.

"Twenty rings."

Favouritism was at play again. He had been given ten rings less than her. "Looks like I got the short end of the hand out." He said, pulling out ten rings from his pocket.

"Don't worry. Thirty rings is more than enough to order desserts."

"True..." He said, a tinge of disappointment shrouded him. The last thing he wanted was for his girlfriend to pay more than himself.

Their first date was turning out to have many downgraded substitutes; No beach, no sun, and now the humiliation he felt for relying on her financially.

Not that Amy seemed to mind. "Can I have the-"

"Strawberry shortcake with extra strawberries. A drizzle of lemon sauce and whipped cream on top?"

Taken back by his ability to remember her favourite, personalised order, Amy smiled appreciatively. "Impressive."

" _And_ I'll even get those Spagonian cannoli you're always eyeing up."

Her heart fluttered with gratitude. To express her appreciation, she jumped up from the bed and embraced her lover, placing a kiss against his cheek. "I love you."

He smiled at her love words. "Did you want anything else?"

She shook her head back at him. "What're you ordering? Oh, no, wait. Let me guess... Chocolate cobbler with vanilla ice cream _and_ crushed cookies as a topping."

Guessing correctly, the blue hedgehog grinned. "You guessed it."

Bouncing on her heel, Amy clapped merrily. Her joy unobtainable. "We should watch a movie downstairs. I'll pick the movie, you can order."

"Yes, ma'am." Sonic agreed with her. With a smile, Amy left the hedgehog to his task. He couldn't help but notice her contentment lifting her feet with every step she took. The blissful light she gave off was blinding, eliminating the gloom he held.

He sighed, feeling assuaged. This happiness she rained, may it never dimmer.

* * *

The finest bistro in the city accommodated to many couples for the evening. Providing the most endearing atmosphere for romance to kindle. A dim lit establishment with small, accumulating bulbs resembling the night sky above their heads, reflecting against the dark, walnut tables with lit candles being made centrepieces. Faint chatter was drowned by the delicate play of the live piano in the corner. An opulent setting, the finest for his wife.

"This place is so beautiful." Aleena gushed. "I remember walking passed this place while it was under construction and hoping we'd end up dining here one day. Now here we are."

Lost in deep thought, her words flew over her husband's ears. His mind still plagued by the questions of his children's motives. Had they lied? Was there some truth to what they had told him? He was certain, completely certain, of Sonic's mastery over deceit. But Sonia? His baby girl? Never.

Yet without the belief of his precious daughter lying to him, his puzzle just didn't fit together.

So maybe Sonia had an alibi for tonight... But was it variable? Maybe if he contacted Sally, maybe he could find the whereabouts to his child. Or perhaps she would confirm that Sonia wasn't as innocent as he thought.

And what about his youngest? Her relationship... it just didn't seem natural. To see her interact with her supposed boyfriend felt forced, as though she was disgusted by his touch. It begged the question; was her relationship with Knuckles real, or a cover up?

A cover up to the fact she was back in the arms of her own brother.

"Jules?" Aleena enquired.

"Hmm?" He lifted his head from his hands. Her moments concern had formed to annoyance. He had missed something. "Sorry, Sweetness. What did you say?"

"I was just talking about this place." She informed him. "... Not that it matters. What's bothering you, Hun?"

"It's nothing, really. Don't worry about it."

"You've been stuck in your head ever since we left the house. As your wife, I am going to worry about you and I expect you to share your burdens with me."

He made the mistake of looking at her. With one glimpse, he faltered. "... Do you believe Amy's really dating Knuckles?"

Aleena took a sip of her glass of red wine before answering. "Honestly? I didn't believe it when you told me. I thought Sonia had a thing for him originally. For Amy to start dating him, and Sonia being totally fine about it, I was surprised."

He leaned back in his chair, horrified. So it was possible. Highly possible. His children were in on the cover up and hiding the dark truth.

All the while, he was sat in a restaurant, allowing it to happen.

"Jules..." Aleena called to him, deeply perturbed by her husband's paranoia. "I know you're concerned for our children, but please don't let any worries stop us from enjoying our first night out together in years. It can be just like old times. You and me, against the world. Remember?" She began to reminisce, sliding her hands across the table for him to hold.

Looking down at her small hands, he took in her words. She was right. The first night together after so long was truly a precious time for them both. He owed it to his devoted wife to see it through. To enjoy her company.

His hands fell into her own. "There's no place I'd rather be then right here with the most beautiful women in the world." He smiled at her.

"Thank you, Hun." She smiled back at him.

Sitting back in his seat, he was overwhelmed by the urge to ease his whirling mind. "Although, I might have to take a trip to the men's room."

"Hurry back."

He briefly nodded before rising from his seat and heading to the restrooms. As he turned the corner, he pulled his flask from his tuxedo jacket and harshly screwed the lid off. The poison was quickly guzzled, relieving his mind only slightly, all the while burning his organs

It was enough to endure a few more hours.

* * *

Eyes fixated on the movie, the young couple were distracted by the thriller in the midst of their feast. With every jump scare, Sonic found himself chuckling to his girlfriend's yelps and screams.

"Eep!" She squealed, looking away from the TV following the latest scare.

"Why did you pick a thriller, knowing you can't handle it?" He asked, chuckling once more to see her shudder at the screams of the innocence.

"Because I've wanted to watch this for ages!"

"You're hardly watching when your eyes are behind your hands most of the time."

"That's why you're here to tell me what I'm missing." She joked.

Lightly chuckling, the blue hedgehog turned back to the movie. Though staring intently at the screen, he was absentminded, too caught up in his own insecurities. He just couldn't believe his girlfriend had been completely thrilled with how their first date had turned out. He had promised her the world and had delivered little to nothing in comparison.

As though reading his mind, Amy leaned towards him, hanging severely close to his face. She smiled playfully in her attempt to jump him once he awoke from his thought process.

Seeing her pink fur in his peripheral vision, he grinned instantaneously. Slowly, he turned to her and lightly headbutted her.

"Hey!" She giggled.

"Oh sorry. I thought you were challenging me to a head dual."

"What even is a head dual?" His girlfriend laughed.

"I dunno. You tell me." Sonic shrugged, looking back at the movie.

His lover once again leaned towards him, making him chuckle at her childish behaviour. "Now I really think you're challenging me."

"You're overthinking." She told him.

Her observation silenced him. She knew him too well. "I am?" He played none the wiser.

"Yep. Your frown and intense stare says it all." Her light-hearted approach became more sincere. "What's wrong, Sonic?"

Knowing he couldn't keep quiet for long with her around, he sighed and leaned forward. "I wanted today to be perfect. To be totally different to our circumstance. Away from everyone we know, in a place far from home... Instead, I could only give you videogames and cake, which you mostly paid for."

"Oh Sonic." She sighed. Placing her head on his shoulder. "I have everything I need right here. I told you already, as long as I'm with you, nothing else matters. So we're not on a beach with fruity drinks with little umbrellas on the side, but we have eachother, and cake. Who doesn't like cake?"

Humbled by her reassurance, he rested his head against hers. Of course she was right. They were together, alone. That was a blessing in itself.

And like she pointed out, they had cake, a delicious attribute to their date. "Now I want cake." He mused.

Faintly laughing together, the couple turned back to their cakes on the coffee table and feasted on their sugary confections. Taking a bite of her shortcake, she had accidentally gotten cream on the corner of her lip.

He snickered at her clumsiness. "What?" She questioned him, he only continued to laugh. "What's so funny?"

"Nothing. It's just- Here, let me get it." He insisted, leaning towards her, he licked the cream away from her lips. She quivered lightly, his tongue slightly cold from the ice cream had gradually warmed with her blush. Surprised, she turned her head towards him as he slowly pulled away.

Implication set, a feverish yearning was exchanged through their lustful gaze, dazed eyes shortly falling onto longing lips and then back to the drunken love state they found themselves in. Dilatory in movement, he brought himself back towards her and captured her lips.

Submissive under his perfervid might, she fell back against the arm of the sofa, bringing him to tower over him. Engrossed by his passion, she wrapped her arms around his neck and lost herself in his influence.

His resistance was spent, his desire in abundance. No longer holding back, he bore all his restrained love into her.

Deeply stirred by her lover's affection, Amy pulled away from the kiss and gasped for air, panting heavily as she stared at him in her lecherous condition. The day's determination absorbed all the hesitation he had held, leaving her wildly amorous.

She pulled him back into another hungered kiss, this time with her taking the lead. Forcing herself upward, she rested on her knees, ascending over him. Hands rising to his cheeks, she returned the intensity and craving.

Giving in to the instinct to breathe, the couple panted softly, gripping onto one another tightly, eagerly. "Are you ready for this?" He whispered. Having little control over his will power, he brought her lips back into a brief and pining kiss.

A salacious moan left her lips. "More than anything."

He held up his hand for her to take. Without hesitation, she placed her hand in his and walked with him towards his bedroom.

Surrendering all concerns and consequence at the door.

o - o - o - o - o - o - o

Delicate brushes of bare fingertips and gentle squeezes against shaking hands were the acts of kindness amongst the debauchery. An act too depraved in the eyes of their guardians. And yet, an act calling on the celestial realm in it's bliss begged for blind eyes. If what they expressed was immoral, they would wear their sin on their sleeves and would gladly burn.

Uttered breaths and liberated cries orchestrated reticent emotions and the release of calculated deception. Free to express their truth. From him; his pain showed aggression. His endurance bridled his fervour. And his loved ravished her. From his lover came her unhampered adoration she had held for too long.

At first, unrhythmic and primarily controlled by impatient desire, they soon fell in sync. Melodic soundings filling the air becoming increasingly frequent. The heat radiating from their love perspiring into one.

Every breath resonating in their quickened hearts, all sounds soaked into the mind, each movement getting more desperate until their end. Trembling in the wake, a laboured kiss was shared before dropping onto dampened sheets.

The high fading, the girl smiled. Genuine happiness, all the while bittersweet. She held no regrets to their actions, but felt unease towards the consequences of their forbidden love. What their parents would think. How their actions, completely natural to others, were deemed disgusting to the rest of the world.

Seeking comfort from her beloved, she embraced him, holding him tightly. "I love you." She said, the guilt in her voice undeniable. Unable to hold back her tears, she allowed them to fall.

"Hey, it's okay." He reassured her, providing a hug just as tight as hers. "It's okay..."

The guilt and pain in his voice was evident. As she looked up, she was surprised by what she saw.

He was crying too.

* * *

Watching the flashing tracker on his phone screen, Jules kept his eyes glued to the location. His son hadn't left the house in the time he had been away. It offered very little reassurance of his son's motives. He may have not moved since he left, but that didn't guarantee that somebody hadn't gone to him.

"Jule." Aleena groaned. "Can't you leave your phone for two minutes?"

Though bothered by her nagging to get off the phone, he nevertheless complied to her demands this time. "Sorry, Sweetness." He apologised, putting his phone in his pocket. "Work emails have got me super swamped."

"I can only imagine. Your work is so demanding and I admire all the effort you put into stopping that Doctor Robotnik fellow. But-"

"I know. Tonight is our night. I swear, no more distractions, no more losing myself in my had." He picked up his glass of water and held it up to toast. "To my beautiful wife."

Smiling endearingly, she picked up her glass of wine. "And to my amazing husband." She said, clinking her glass against his, the couple sipped to their appreciative toast.

Walking along the pavement, Sonia leaned against her boyfriend's shoulder, heading in the direction towards her house.

"Tonight has been wonderful." She gushed.

"It sure has. It's a shame we have to end it so soon though. I was enjoying your company."

Stopping briefly to look at her communicator for the time, Sonia smirked to find it was only 9:00pm. "Looks like I have an hour."

"We can do a lot in an hour." He smirked back at her.

"You're right. Maybe we should take a detour then." She implied, wrapping her arms around his neck and kissing him tenderly. Stimulated by her affection, his arms fell onto her hips as he returned her love.

Unbeknownst to the fuchsia hedgehog, her romantic actions were spotted by her father who had been looking out of the window.

Slamming his glass onto the table, the father glowered at the young couple before rising from his seat and rushing out of the door.

"Jule?" Aleena gasped. Turning back towards the window, the reason for his husband's abrupt behaviour left her stomach churning. "Oh..." She muttered. "Jules... Jules!" The purple female jumped up from her seat and followed her husband outside.

"Sonia!" Her father bellowed. His yell was enough to break her from the kiss and cause her to yelp.

"Dad?!" She stammered back. "What are you doing here?!" His daughter gasped, unaware he would be dining at this particular restaurant.

"You!" He growled at the red male. "If you're here, where's Amy-?" Nausea corrupted his organs at the realisation. His suspicions were correct the whole time. "Oh, I'm gonna fucking kill him." He roared, marching towards his car.

"Dad! Dad, wait!" Sonia begged, racing after him. Upon turning the corner, she witnessed her father speeding out of the car park, stopping before her mother.

"Get in!" He ordered.

"Mum, please!" Sonia cried out, pleading with her mother to have some compassion towards her brother. The build up of frightful tears in her daughter's eyes only made her sickened by what she was covering.

She was fearful of what she was going to find back home.

Her eyes not leaving her daughter, Aleena got into the car, her daughter's betrayal hurting her heart.

Failing to stop her parents, Sonia watched hopelessly as the car sped down the road.

"Fuck!" She shouted into the air. Pulling up her communicator, she slammed her finger onto Sonic's name and attempted to warn him. The call dialled through before beeping to the failed call. She tried again, only to flat line. Then she tried Amy's... Nothing. "Answer your fucking communicators!" She screamed into her own device. In despair, she ran her hands through her quills and whimpered, her head falling back in her turmoil.

"Sonia? What's happening with Sonic?" Knuckles demanded to know, grabbing her hand to both console her and stop her from avoiding his question.

"I can't tell you, Knuckles." She sobbed. "Trust me when I tell you I want nothing more than to confide in you about all of this, but I can't. All I can tell you is that my brother is in a lot of trouble right now and it's all because of me!" She cried.

Wrapping his arms around her, he soothed her by rubbing her back gingerly. "Don't say that. It's not your fault you have an overprotective Dad."

"I should've been more careful. I should've kept an eye out for them." She criticised her actions. Even with the guilt consuming her, she feared her self-pity was stopping her from saving her siblings. She had to get back to them. "I'm sorry. I have to go." She told her lover.

He nodded back at her and released her from his hold. "Keep me updated."

"Will do. I love you."

"Love you too."

Planting a brief kiss to his cheek, Sonia turned into the opposite direction and ran back to her house. Activating her communicator once more, she called Manic to inform him of the trouble ahead.

"Yo." Manic answered.

"Manic. They know!"

"Who knows what?"

"Mum and Dad! They know about Sonic and Amy! You need to get home now!"

A moment's pause occurred before his response. "Shit. I'll be there soon."

Hanging up the call, the girl sprinted back to her home. Requiring all her energy, she endevoured to make it back before the wrath of their parents was unleashed on her siblings.


	12. Unveiling

Chapter Twelve: Unveiling

His aggravation was discernible. Distinguishable in his long and weighted breaths. Encumbered and tiresome, irksome and livid. A continual strain, irreversible by time and discipline. Another unwrapping of the same monstrous truth that had torn their family apart so long ago. Only this time, she believed he had reached his peak. His breaking point.

Fingers lightly tapped on the steering wheel, a rapid rhythm, gradually building momentum with every involuntary stop taken. His own form of restraint to hold him back was ripping as the balance between poise and mercy wrangled with his animosity. A simplistic beat, yet to his wife, a daunting inevitably.

This anger, this hatred. How she remembered it too well. That night. That hellacious night she had witnessed their past coming back to terrorise them. Awakening the spirit of his father's doctrine and repeating the abominable cruelty he had once sworn to protect his family from.

Wary eyes drifted towards her husband. The man she loved, the father to their children. Titles enriched by experience, nurturing and devotion. But the man beside her; heavily wrinkled featured from his aggression, his breathing increasing it's vigor, showed little remnants of the man who had earned those titles.

"Come on!" Yelled the blue hedgehog, slamming his hands against the steering wheel to unleash his frustration. Another forcible stop behind a red light leaving him more worked up.

Such powerful wrath in his voice alone had resulted in her heart stepping out of tune. "Honey..." She slowly turned her head towards him, lowering her eyes to avoid meeting any foreign characteristics of the boy she fell in love with.

Jules growled, low and strongly irritable. He leaned back in his seat, keeping both hands on the steering wheel. At the sound of his wife's voice, he gradually turned towards her.

Downward, her eyes would remain. "Whatever we discover at home... We'll handle it together... Won't we?"

It was more of an insecure enquiry rather than an assertive advisory between parents. To see her lover's descent into malevolence was a situation of unease. Fearful of his temper and the path he was heading, and yet invested too deep into her love for him and their life together to turn away from it all.

His response was delayed, allowing her to question his motives. No matter what their children had possibly done, he couldn't think violence would solve anything.

Heavily, he breathed through his nose and move his left hand over to his wife, placing it against her knee. His eyes softened as they laid their sight on her uncertain features. "Yeah. Together. Always." He said, bearing a smile towards her.

The smile provided the reassurance she needed to reinstate her faith in her husband. It was just as he had promised her during his time in Mercia; his days of deceit and violence were behind him. His drinking at a minimal. Whatever it took to ensure his family stayed a family.

A perfect family was always his aspiration. His lies and pain had nearly cost him just that. Plentiful tears, removal of rings, packed suitcases with his name on it had been his reality. It took months of calls from him to her to build what he had destroyed.

He gave her all that he was, all that he had to keep her. With distance providing an even greater challenge, he had to work even harder to mend her broken heart: Daily interface, in-depth talk of their issues, hear and endure his wife's struggles and pain he had caused and keeping many promises they had agreed on over the years.

He finally succeeded in restoring their marriage after two years of hardship. The dedication he had shown and carried to this day made her believe his sentiment was genuine.

Smiling back at her spouse, she placed her hand over his and gave it a gentle squeeze. "Thank you."

Bringing her hand to his lips, he kissed the back of it before turning his attention back to the traffic. More relaxed in his way of driving, the blue hedgehog kept his poise. With his exceeding temper now hidden from his wife, he channelled his thoughts and emotions internally.

Bottling the rage until he found his target.

* * *

Rapturous. Deep in a state of bliss he never believed was reachable. A delirious condition of paradisaical reality. His heart chimed rather than beated. A soothing, whispered ringing, issuing a melodic cleansing over his emotional agony sitting on his chest.

Turning his head slightly, he was met with the ambrosial scent of her pink fur as his nose brushed against her bangs. He smiled, sighing contently and nuzzling his nose against her hair. The sensation triggered a light giggle from his lover, making her slowly lift her head to face him.

Instinctively, his eyes softened on contact. His passion filling his eyes and leaving him smitten. She reflected his loving gaze, leaning lightly against his chest, head tilting to the side. She smiled back at him, expressing equal devotion.

It was surreal. Unfathomable, though greatly factual. He had believed their love had reached it's zenith, held no more room for development or transition. He had been wrongly. Naive and an example of emotional immaturity. There was no limit to their connection. It grew alongside them; strengthened and tightened with every little moment. Strong enough to deny their parents and subsequently, the world.

Growing shy of his intent staring, Amy's smile broadened. "What?" She laughed. His own smile widened as a response. "What is it?"

His hand clasped her cheek, moving her towards him and placing a delicate kiss against her lips. She swooned upon his exit. "Have I told you how much I love you?"

"Only all the time." She chuckled, blushing nevertheless to his words. "But it never gets old."

"That's good to hear. It'll probably get old after a few more years."

"Au contraire. I think it'll be even more powerful once we're free to say those words to the whole world. No more hiding, no more lies. Just us, being what we've always been."

He agreed through a small smile, rubbing her bare back tenderly in the midst of his daydreaming. "We'll declare it loud and proud. Hire out a whole parade for the occasion. A band, some streamers, fireworks; the lot."

"Don't forget the floats."

"Oh, but of course. A giant platform with a big rose and we'll be standing in the middle, showing the world how we feel."

Amy bit her deviously smiling lips. "And just _how_ are we gonna show them?"

Her suggestive tone caused her boyfriend to grin back at her. Hands grasping her hips, he pulled the squealing girl on top of him. "This way's pretty convincing."

She laughed with him. "So we're gonna be one of those couples? The kinda ones that film themselves or do it in public?"

"Sure. Why not?" He said sarcastically.

"Sounds a little risque to me."

"I dunno... From what I remember, you seem quite familiar with risque photography."

Embarrassment darkened her cheeks. Jaw dropping and loudly gasping, she playfully swatted his chest. He abruptly winced, reminding her of his injuries.

"Nnphm-"

"Oh! Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry!" She gasped.

"It's okay, it's okay. You can hardly leave a bruise on a bruise." He jested, attempting to reassure her with a confident grin.

He had failed. She looked down at his bruises; some fading to yellowish brown, others still sporting darker hues. The injuries were heartbreaking enough. To know these bruises were caused by their father and Sonic kept that fact hidden to save his father's reputation was even more tragic.

"Sonic..." She sighed, moving her doe eyes to meet his own. "You need to get those checked out."

"I'm fine..." He quickly answered.

"It's been over a week and they're hurting like they're fresh. You need to get checked, Sonic. For all you know, you could have internal bruising."

He dismissed her concerns. Though acknowledging her fear, he knew she was in too deep into the gruelling business between himself and his dad. If she treaded too far, he knew she would be the next target. He'd sooner die than have her be a victim to the general.

Gently moving her back onto his bed, he sat up and move to the edge of the bed, looking away from her. "You worry way too much."

"Because I love you. Far too much to see you die at the hands of that man." She blurted out, her emotions beginning to sprout in her voice. He kept his distance, refusing to look back at her. "He needs to be stopped, Sonic. What he's doing to you, it's wrong. This isn't discipline or militant kinda parenting. He's abusive. Severely abusive. If you keep covering for him, he's gonna end up killing you."

A scoff escaped him. "It's not something that's brought up over the dinner table..." He muttered.

"I know it's hard to talk about it. I know how much it hurts you to relive what he's done to you... But you have to say something before it's too late."

His head fell to the floor, eyes focusing on nothing in particular. He kept his gaze, wanting to focus on anything other than his dark reality. It was too risky. To lift the veil that covered the even more malicious truth within the family would have far reaching consequences. His siblings' view shattered. His mother to become broken with anguish, guilt and heartache. And what of her; his lover, and himself. He would take away the family unit she had established, and he was more or less dead, just as if he would be if he remained silent.

There was too much riding on his lies.

Looking back at her over his shoulder, he could see her glazed eyes from her tears preparing to descend. A heart rending sight. "The day I say it all, is the day I'm done talking."

"What's that supposed to mean?" She leaned towards him, desperate for his answer. "Sonic?"

Brushing his emotions aside, he turned back to her and forced a smile. "It means slam on your worry brakes. If it makes you happy, I'll see a doctor. And I mean an actual doctor, not mum."

"Thank you." His lover smiled back at him. Her tears gradually subsiding.

He turned back to face her and wiped away the remaining eye water. Her eyes however still held their reservations. "Still worried?"

"Maybe..." She mumbled, looking down bashfully.

"I know how to make you relaxed." He smirked back at her, earning a suggestive grin from her in return.

Consented through smiles, he towered over her, moving her back down onto his pillows. Sharing an amorous kiss, the couple soon found themselves lost in a haze, recommencing their adulated passion.

* * *

The car pulled up onto the driveway unhurriedly, allowing a moment for the father to look towards the house and monitor from the exterior. He stared into his living room, acknowledging the light that came from within. The light lead into the hallway, potentially following onto the second floor. Little substantial evidence that made him impatient to discover the truth.

Scorned and fired, his eyes rose to the upper floor of the house. Blood ablaze in his veins, rippling a searing course of fury throughout. He couldn't hold back, he wouldn't-

"Jule. Remember to stay calm. No matter what we find." His wife reminded him. Her hand reached out to his shoulder, her gentle touch was like a chain to his belligerence. The only saving grace keeping her son unharmed.

He confirmed his acknowledgement with a dutiful nod, momentarily looking to her to show genuine intention. She lapped it up, blissfully unaware of his thoughts and current hatred.

Another minute was not wasted. Though rash, he was diligent to keep his presence undetectable. Discreetly, he closed the car door on his exit and made haste towards the house. Key in the keyhole, he twisted it with extra care; steady the brass turned in the hole, the soft sounds of working springs just barely hitting his ears. A faint click confirmed it's opening, imperceptible to distant ears.

However with deceit came enhanced wariness and vigilance. The slightest sound out of sync to their surroundings had alerted the blue teen. Breaking the amoral kiss, he slowly backed away from his lover, his face filled with dread.

"What's wrong?" Amy questioned him, his perturbed features now reflecting on her face. She listened along with him, both silent and attentive.

The front door opened. Given just as much attention to the lock, the father opened it just enough for he and his wife to sneak through without making noticeable sound. They looked around the hall, their eyes peering up the stairs and into the living room.

"Look." Jules whispered, leaning towards Aleena. He pointed towards the living room table, spotting two boxes on the surface. He made his way over to the table and examined the desserts left by his children. One was no doubt Sonic's, the other he could only wish for otherwise. "He's clearly not alone..."

"Oh..." Aleena gasped lightly, looking to her husband, realisation on her face. He turned back to her, witnessing her disturbance.

"What is it?"

Her eyes fell back on the box of half eaten food, identifying the dessert and it's consumer. "Strawberry shortcake. It's ... Amy's favourite."

Sunken brows wrinkled heavily over his flaring eyes, lips arching into his deepest scowl. Enough evidence was gathered, enough tolerance was given. The truth was to be unveiled and he had waited too long for it's reveal.

He took off. Brazing speed, enough power within each step to tear through the floorboards beneath him. Anger stormed his footsteps against the stairs, devastating, thunderous stomps vibrating heavily up the stairs.

Nostrils flaring, breath uncontrolled and erratic, the father held little mercy.

Upon hearing the first step heading their way, Sonic leapt off the pink hedgehog and threw her dress towards her. "Get dressed. Quick." He demanded, throwing his own attire back on within seconds.

Her dress was immediately thrown over her head and hastily pulled down over her nudity. In her rush, her undergarments were given second thought. "Sonic." She alarmed the blue boy of the clothing still on the floor.

The tumultuous footsteps grew increasingly close, the reverberating vibrations getting more and more calamitous. No time to think, he grabbed the clothing and discarded them under his bed.

**SLAM!**

Into the wall went his bedroom door. It's force breaking through the plaster in one mighty swing. It's destructor stood within the door frame, eyes fixated on the scene before him. In the bed lay his youngest daughter, face drained of colour, her terror significant in her eyes. Her hands gripped the covers tightly, shielding the little dignity she held from her father.

Sonic slowly rose up from his crouched position beside the bed, his gaze never leaving his dad. Disordered breathing released from his quacking lips, a reflection of his heart beating wildly. Every beat boomed fear. Their truth revealed, there was no telling how their father would react.

Rushing in pursuit of her husband, Aleena came running behind the father. She paused behind him, shock leaving her mortified at the door. She was sickened, a heavy pit in her stomach bringing on the intense feeling of nausea. Gasping loudly, the tears gathered and fell. Her hands covered her mouth to hold back her sobs and her queasiness.

"Wh- What?" Aleena muttered, her voice quivering. "You... How could you?"

His attention moved to his mother, though he had wished he hadn't looked. She was distraught, shaking in her distress. It was just like they had always feared. Her revulsion to their relationship, to what they really were. Unable to hold his gaze, Sonic hung his head, humbled into silence.

"Get up, Amy..." Jules ordered, his tone subdued, as was his anger. Disappointment he wore on his face, yet sated he found himself. The truth had been found and it had been what he had always theorised.

Following his request, Amy slowly got up from the bed, being delicate to avoid any indecency in front of her parents. As she stood a distance from her lover, she shamefully pulled down her dress, holding the fabric tightly to her thighs in her embarrassment.

Their mother stepped out of her husband's shadow and beared her tears before her children. Controlled by her devastation and horror, she fell delirious to her grief, her mind spinning, shrouded in fog. Her knowledge of past information regarding their relationship was quickly forgotten, her previous mental preparation faltering.

"How long have you two been... ?" She couldn't bring herself to finish her sentence. Her emotions choked her vocals, preventing further questioning.

Her son sorrowfully raised his head, his pained eyes meeting her own momentarily before he brought his gaze back to the ground. "Always..."

"Always?" She repeated, slowly processing every detail, piece by piece. "I don't understand. W-we sent you away... You had a girlfriend. Sally. What happened to Sally? Aren't you dating her?"

Grimacing at the confusion and heartache he had caused her, Sonic shook his head. His eyes clamped shut at her agonised gasp. "Mum, I-"

"So the both of you just... carried on? Behind our backs? And you got your sister to cover for you? Who else knows about this?!"

"Only Manic and Sonia." Amy muttered.

Flabbergasted, the mother breathed out a shuddered breath, expelling her anguish. Her whole family wrapped up in this deceitful, intricate lie. This deeply despicable quandary in which had gotten more complicated with time. Distance had done nothing but make their children become professional falsifiers, overall pushing them further away from them as parent and into the arms of one another.

But then she only had to think why. Why they had lied. Why their time apart had done nothing to stop them from continuing their relationship.

She had viewed their relationship as no more than a phase. One in which would fade over time. Before her confirmed just how dark and rich this situation truly was. It was as her son had told her all those years ago. He was in love with her, the same way his father loved his mother.

And what was to become of this relationship? Of her own relationship with her daughter? To grant her blessings for their love to be, she would declare her daughter as no longer her own. She resented that fact, her heart throbbing at the thought.

But did this make her selfish? Putting morals and overall, her own emotions over her children's happiness? It was too premature to say. However, to see her children look down in their shame, she empathised greatly. They had forced them to be this way; mendacious and cunning. Ultimately withdrawn.

The mother moved towards her son, bringing her hands to his face and giving him the power to hold up his heavy head. His emerald jewels glistened with their tearful glaze, his expression remorseful and anxious. "My boy. My sweet, baby blue... What have we done to you?" She sobbed.

He was taken back by her self-blame. The least expected reaction from either parent. Astonished, he gathered the courage to look deep into her mirroring emerald eyes. In the midst of her consternation and pain, he saw the softness she had always shown him. Despite her own disturbance, her love for him conquered all.

"Mum..." He murmured, his relief expressed in a single tear rolling down his face.

Smiling meekly back at her son, the mother turned her head towards her daughter. She held out her hand to her, squeezing her hand tightly as the girl desperately gripped onto her. "We can sort all of this out together, okay? Right our wrongs, keep moving forward."

Her solution was not appreciated by her husband. How dare she dictate the situation without consulting him, her own request to him she did not follow. Just like she had always shown, she was the weaker parent; willing to conform so quickly to their depravity. This relationship could not be tolerated. Not in his family.

But before he could deal with his children's degeneracy, he needed to first deal with any potential consequences of their actions.

He approached his family, his focus aimed at his son. His face remained emotionless in spite of his indignation. "Did you use protection?" He asked indifferently.

Ah...

The blue teen's lip jittered. For in the heated love they shared, he had forgotten all about the contraception he had hidden in his bedside table. "Uhm..." Humiliated once more by the personal question and in fear of his father's reaction, the boy looked to his lover, signalling uncertainty. She too appeared fearful, knowing whatever their father's reaction, he would be receiving the brunt of his emotions.

"Sonic." Jules said sternly.

He promptly turned his head back to his dad, his eyes failing to make eye contact. "No."

The heavily flaring breath protruding from his nose diffused enough tension to stiffen the nerves of his son. Flashing a look of disgust to the blue boy, he took his wife's hand and gently tugged it. "Come."

Bemused by Jules's sombre behaviour, Aleena submissively obliged, giving another meek smile to her children before following her husband.

Perplexed into motionless silence, the couple watched their parents walked out of the room and down the stairs. They listened to the front door open and close, then solitude.

"What... ?" Sonic gawped towards the hallway.

"They left... ?" Amy said, utterly befuddled. "They left us... on our own? Knowing what we've done?"

"Don't lower your guard just yet. You saw dad's face. He's been wanting to catch us ever since I got back here. Now he knows he was right and that we've been sneaking around this whole time... well, I don't know what he's gonna do." Sonic said, lowering his head, contemplating all possibilities.

"Then what are we gonna do? We're not safe here anymore!"

"We're not safe out there either."

"We'll be a lot safer out there than in the same house as that man."

"I may be his favourite punching bag, but I'm also the leader of his beloved project."

"Sonic-"

"Just-" He said abruptly, his frustration getting the better of him. Sighing, he expressed his apology in his features. "Just hear me out." He insisted, taking a seat on his bed. "Dad signed us up to the military as kids, right?"

"Yeah..."

"So by law, we can't run and hide from him without committing treason by desertion. He's the general, the commander of the heroes, the authority over you and I. Until our commitments are through, we're obligated to stay."

"There's no way of ending our contracts?"

He shook his head.

"Not even speaking to McGrath?"

"And tell him what? That Dad's a jerk and we quit?"

"No. We come clean about what's going on."

"Nah. No way, nuh-uh." He immediately shut her down.

Irritated by his adamant ways, Amy groaned loudly and rolled her eyes in despair. "Why do you keep protecting him?!"

"I'm not! I'm protecting us! You're on my team, that makes me your commander, your officer. We're breaking the rules as it is. If McGrath found out, we'd be in even more trouble."

His girlfriend became quiet, suddenly realising their predicament. Her new position on the team caused a greater strain on their relationship. They were now fighting morals _and_ law.

She tutted, another question puzzling her. "Didn't Dad try to set you up with Sally?"

"Yeah."

"Isn't that breaking the rules?"

"Yeah. So is keeping a soldier behind for extra training and then torturing them in the underground chambers." He chuckled sadistically. "He's not exactly been playing by the rules. The only advantage Sally and I would'a had was protection of privacy. We're not that lucky."

Exasperated, Amy sat beside him, defeated. "Then, what happens now?"

"I dunno. At this point it's game over... Checkmate." He replied, lowering his head once more. He closed his eyes grievously, holding back his tears.

Confounded by their situation, her eyes expelled her turmoil. Freely her emotions flowed. Her lover however expressing internally, his body shaking with intolerance to his emotional pain. Seeing her mournful lover struggle to remain composed, she rested her head against his shoulder and squeezed his hand tightly, hoping to give him the comfort he needed.

Though despondent her touch had become. For it was to be the last time he could hold her again.

* * *

"They left you on your own?!" Sonia asked, dumbfounded by what her siblings had told her.

The four teenagers gathered in the boys' bedroom. Initial hysteria from their sister's frantic entrance was soon subsided. Their brother had returned through the bedroom window, more dour than his sister had been. With all hedgehogs settled, Sonic relayed what had happened.

Her mind still processing the tale, Sonia ran her fingers through her quills, her head still in a frenzy. "He was so mad when I saw him at the restaurant, I genuinely thought he was gonna kill you! Like he just flipped out!"

"That's quite a typical reaction given the circumstance." Manic pointed out. "I mean, when we found out, we were both amped up about it. You even got angry about it."

"Not to that extent... I'm not saying Dad's capable of that, I'm just saying his reaction scared me. If he can be that mad about it in front of me, who knows what he could've done with that anger to those who provoked him?" She said, quickly turning to the couple to apologise for her remark. "No offense, guys."

Too forlorn to speak, Sonic and Amy nodded dejectedly back at their sister, looking torpid and benumbed.

Manic gazed at their faces; apathetic, heavy trauma plagued in their sunken eyes and what he believed was fear. How their breaths would shake into the air, their quills risen at peculiar, bowed angles. A mix between nerved and apprehensive. They were fearful, understandably, but there was something undeniable about their expressions. A deep disturbance present.

Amy, now dressed in her training attire, clinged to her necklace, holding onto the ring of her mother. She twisted it between her fingers, no doubt praying the strength of her mother would channel through the sentimental jewellery. By the look of her sorrowful expression, the green hedgehog was certain it was ineffective.

"They definitely didn't say where they were going?" Manic asked softly, taking pity on his siblings.

Sonic shook his head.

"He asked if we used protection." Amy added.

Manic blinked back at her, a sudden concern nagging him. "And you did, right?"

Once again humiliated by the personal question, Sonic hid his reddened face behind his knees, bringing them to his abdomen.

Answering on behalf of her lover, Amy shook her head back at the green hedgehog.

"Ugh, Fuck sake, Sonic!" Manic groaned. "You had one job!"

"I forgot!" Sonic exclaimed. "You're telling me you've never got caught up in what was going on and forgotten about it?!"

"No, I haven't. Because unlike you, I don't want responsibility coming back from my actions." He rubbed his temples in annoyance. "How could you forget?!"

"You didn't forget about the candles too, did you?" Sonia asked her sister.

Perplexed by the irrelevant question, the genius squinted his eyes at the fuchsia hedgehog. "Forget candles. We could be dealing with a hoglet soon enough." His features instantly relaxed at the thought that came to mind. "Ah, so maybe that's where they've gone..."

"What's your theory, Brains?" Sonia questioned.

The green hedgehog crossed his arms, looking out the bedroom window to reflect on his hypothesis. "If you fail to protect yourself from a pregnancy, there's still a chance to prevent it."

His hypothetical talk was cut short as the teens heard the commotion coming through the front door. From above, they heard the door swing open, their mother's tearful pleas to the father. A violent slam shortly following before they were all startled by the call.

"AMY! KITCHEN, NOW!"

Vigorous was the resonant rumbling from the man. It's vibrations penetrating through the floorboards and into the spines of the girl in question and her lover.

Their spines raised and spiked, the tips quaking furiously. Breathless, the blue hedgehog looked to the terrified girl in front of him, his own heart beating frantically at her dread.

Panting irrationally, Amy gripped onto Sonic's hands, her nails tearing at the fabric of his gloves. "Don't make me go down there. Please, Sonic. Please don't let me go on my own."

Her strong emotions broke his him. How her tears brought her makeup running down her face, her chest heaving rapidly. Hushing the girl soothingly, he brought her into his arms and held her lovingly. "It'll be okay, I promise. Just do everything he says and remain calm."

" **AMY!** " Their father yelled, rattling their spines with his louder, more threatening cry. "Don't make me call you again!"

Another rash breath came from the blue boy. "I'll be close. If anything happens, I'll come running. You know that."

She nodded rapidly, smiling humbly at his reassurance. This display of intense anxiety and pure fright was unsettling, concerning. The situation was complicated and had a lot of emotions along with it, but from their parents track record, they were hardly tyrannical oppressors.

Though judging by their reactions, the green hedgehog, as well as his triplet sister could only watch and speculate.

"I love you." She cried, sobbing distressingly. Her head fell onto his jacket front, her tears staining the red material.

Placing a comforting kiss on her forehead, Sonic moved his lover at arms length. He gingerly rubbed her shoulders to soothe her. "Go, quick. Before he gets real mad."

"Okay..." She breathed out, turning her head towards the landing. Another shuddering breath, she took sluggish steps towards the door. Lost in trepidation, the tearful teenager looked back over her shoulder, the trio expressing determined faces to encourage her through the unforeseeable ordeal. She breathed in the courage they emitted, her heart enforced with spirited remedy.

Mirroring the strength of the triplets, Amy composed her breathing and hurried down the stairs. Looking into the living room, she witnessed her father waiting for her. The imposing and authoritative figure stood with his arms crossed, his rage sucking in his lips. He raised his head towards her, golden orbs dancing fiercely. Regrettably, their eyes met. The might of his own blaze burnt away the strength she had gathered, leaving her exposed and vulnerable before him.

"Come and sit down." He demanded, not waiting for her to join him. Walking into the kitchen, the father awaited for her to follow.

Amy heeded the advice from her boyfriend, quickly submitting to his command. As she walked into the kitchen, she saw her parents standing either side of the table, a seat stationed between them. Before them was a small plate on the table, along with a glass of water. In the centre of the plate sat a single, small pill. An off shade of white, just barely visible from where she stood.

"What is that?" She dared to ask, her voice timid and hushed.

"Plan B." Jules answered her, pulling out the chair on her behalf. "Sit down."

Apprehensive, Amy slowly made her way to the chair and took her seat. Unable to look back at her father's piercing stare, she kept her eyes on the tablet in front of her.

"This is more of a... back up kind of contraception." Aleena explained. "It delays ovulation, so you're less likely to end up, uh... with child."

"You're gonna take it right now. We want to see you swallow it." Jules spoke threatening toned and malicious.

His voice churned her stomach violently, nausea abruptly setting in. He was close to exploding, his rash breath hitting the back of her neck singeing her short hairs, how she could feel the fury steaming from his being.

Her blood ran cold, her bones stiffening to the chill. The sensation of his heat bounced off the surface of her spines, though the tension he bore ran through, deteriorating her blistering defence and bringing her to tremble.

Leering over her shoulder, his head protruded forward, slowly turning towards her until his nose brushed against her cheek. "Take. The. Pill, Amy." He growled.

His daughter inhaled sharply, her back pressed hard against the upholstered furniture. Panicked breathing ensued, hyperventilating at a gradual procession. Never had she experienced his hostility at first hand. It was as frightening as Sonic had described it. The man who raised them, who showered them in love and praise throughout their early childhood. He was beyond that man now. A monstrous, abusive counterpart.

Just how hostile was he willing to become? Was he going to crack? Was she to be his target? The questions only brought on more dubiety. She kept her caution. If this man was willing to abuse his own flesh and blood, she was hardly safe from his aggression.

"Amy." Jules snarled.

"Jules, please. Give her a moment." Her mother pleaded, stepping forward hesitantly. She too was uncertain of her husband's intentions. From his temperament in the car, she was apprehensive towards his approach.

Eavesdropping from the stairs, the triplets listened intently to their father's encroachment on their younger sister and their mother's diffident nature. To the blue hero's siblings, this behaviour was baffling from both of them. Their mother's typical assertion had been reduced to submission and by the dynamic of the conversation, Amy was in a state of paralysis, unable to respond for whatever reason.

She couldn't possibly be afraid of their father. As angry as he appeared, it could hardly be detrimental.

"What's taking her so long?" Manic thought aloud, vocalising his voice to a minimum.

"No idea. The sooner she takes that pill, the sooner he'd let her go." Sonia whispered.

Sonic kept his opinion to himself. That threatening tone all too familiar. He could feel his father's peak reaching it's summit and his beloved was to be the unfortunate victim. That he could not bear. He would sooner take all of the man's fury before he allowed that man to traumatise her.

Remaining fixed to her solid stature, her hands became dead weight on either side of her shaking body. Mind trapped in a whirlpool of anxiety. No matter how she consciously screamed at herself to do what her father commanded, her body was stuck, motionless. Her eyes drifted down to her right hand, terrified she became in her inability to move it. She willed it to move; to clench, to twitch, anything. To no avail.

"Don't make me tell you again. Just take the damn thing!"

Her time was waring thin, as was his patience. He was merciless to her condition, too far gone with his temper. He towered over her like a shadow, his darkness imminent.

"Jule." Aleena took another step towards her husband, reaching out her hand toward his shoulder. Her call only seemed to bother him further. Patience continue to etch away, his breathing became rash.

Her instincts awakened; flight dominating over fight. All the will she had lost was channelled back into her arms as she pushed herself up from the table and into her legs to escape. "I need some air."

She was unsuccessful in her escapade. Feeling a hand gripped to the back of her neck, she was forced back into her seat. His strength powered over her, slamming her head down against the wooden table and bringing the tablet to her lips.

"TAKE IT!" He roared into her ear.

"Stop it!" His wife screamed, yanking on his shoulder in her attempt to pry the brawny man off of her petrified, wailing daughter. "Get off of her!"

A flash of blue shot into the kitchen, heading directly for the father. Before his golden eyes could turn towards the vibrant streak, the man was pummeled by the brutally sharp quills of his son hitting him at compelling speed. He was hoisted off his feet, hurling into the air and slamming his back into the kitchen counters. The wooden doors fractured on impact.

Stood back from the commotion, wide eyed and aghast, his mother and siblings gawped at the affliction descended onto the father. Deep gashes ran down the right side of his face; the main receiver to his son's daggering spines. He was slouched over against the broken doors, shock and pain keeping him stationed.

"Oh my-" Aleena gasped, covering her mouth with both hands. Anguished tears trickled down her face, a complex turmoil leaving her fearful for his condition all the while wishing he wouldn't rise up with vengeance.

Helping his lover to her feet, Sonic brought his hands against the shaken girl's face, gently caressing her cheek in hopes to console her. "You okay?"

"Y-yeah. I'm fine." She said faintly.

He checked her over nonetheless. "Are you hurt? Did he hurt you?"

"No. Just a little shaken up."

Sighing grievously, Sonic wrapped his arms around her, her arms instantly copying his actions around his neck. She buried her face into his chest, whimpering lightly into his hoodie. "I've got you... I've got you." He hushed her, resting his head against her own.

Dull vision wandered to the affectionate couple. His daughter, his youngest daughter, taken in by the loving arms of his eldest son. It appalled him, disgusted him. To see them embraced, locked into a endearing hold brought all the anger back to him. They were incestuous degenerates, hellbent on tarnishing the family and its unit.

Thunder sparked in his eyes, activating every nerve ending with coursing rage. Gritting his teeth, Jules shot up from the ground and confronted the couple, his nostrils blaring from the steam he emitted.

"Why?! Why do you do this?! Why are you so insistent on tearing this family apart?! This obsession with one another, this- this filth! You continue to practice this disgusting abomination in my home, knowing it is wrong!" He huffed, glowering at the affrighted couple. "You are sick! The pair of you!"

Furrowing his eyebrows at the enraged man before them, Sonic moved Amy to stand behind him, his arm stretched out as a barrier between her and their dad. He kept his sight on him, attentive to every little movement.

Seeing the false bravery in his son, Jules chuckled sadistically. "And you? You are the biggest disappointment of all. All this time, you were lying to me. To us."

"What choice did I have?" Sonic scowled.

"I don't know. How about being **normal?**! You could've picked any girl in the world, and you pick your little sister?" He chuckled mockingly once more. "You even turned down Sally. Sally! For her."

"And I'd do it again!" He yelled back at him in an hot blooded outburst. Surprised by his own declaration, the blue hero releasing a tense breath. "You know I would. You've always known. Even when I lied, you knew what was going on. That's why you were so paranoid, always trying to catch onto something. Truth is, you never believed the lies. You just wanted to so you didn't have to face the reality."

Clenching his fists, Jules glared at his son. Both fists rattled with vigor.

Emerald eyes shifted to the balled fists momentarily right before redirecting them back to the apoplectic man. He swallowed harshly, forsaking the terror he held for his father and mustering all the courage he had to uncloak the ineffible truth that had torn them apart.

"I'm in love with Amy."

"Ha..." Jules laughed. "No you're not." He shook his head profusely in denial. "You don't know what love is, you're sixteen for Chaos sake! Both of you are just kids, you have no idea what love is!"

"Yes we do!" Amy cried.

Looking back over his shoulder, Sonic watched in awe as his girlfriend stepped forward to confront their father.

Taking her lover's hand, she squeezed it lightly, reassuring him of her decision. "Ever since we were kids, you have tried to keep us apart and it did nothing but make us stronger. Doesn't that show you anything?"

"Petal..." Jules breathed out, holding out his hand to his youngest. "If there's something you wanna tell me, you know you can, right?" Her eyes narrowed in confusion. "Did he set you up to this? Forced you into doing anything you didn't want to do?"

"What?" She gasped, bewildered by his accusation.

"Wait..." Sonic stood beside the pink hedgehog. "You think I forced her?"

"I wouldn't expect anything less from you." He leered at his son. "You've proven to me, time and time again just how corrupted you can be."

Sonia stared in horror at her father, mortified by the words that had come from his mouth. Her image of him shattering before her eyes and unmasking a whole different version of him. Had this been why her siblings were so fearful? Had this been the side they had seen all along?

She turned to her mother, being mindful of her hesitance. It was as though she too was withdrawn. Much like her once cocky brother had always been. Both shells of what they used to be.

Was it all correlating to him?

"Hold up a sec..." Sonia interjected. "How can you stand there and say such things to your own son?"

Astonished by her question, Jules faltered, taking a moment to word his justification. "His depravity has torn this family for years!"

"No it hasn't. Manic and I didn't even know anything about their relationship until a few weeks ago. Can't say it's changed anything between us..."

"But they-"

"I get it. Their relationship is weird. We don't tend to brush over words between us, but after seeing what Sonic did to his hand-"

Ears darting towards her daughter, Aleena span her head to face her. "What?" She exhaled, her eyes then looking to her eldest son. "What happened to your hand?"

"Nothing." He replied instinctively, ignoring the blatant protest from the pink hedgehog.

Shaking her head at Sonic's deceit, Sonia answered on his behalf. "He was self-harming in Mercia." She told her mother. Turning back to her father, she tried to persuade him through the knowledge Sonic had told them in confidence. "He was so heartbroken during his deployment, he was burning himself."

The temperament of the blue male began to subside and allow some nerve to step in. Alarmed like a deer in headlights, he stared absentmindedly towards Sonia. Nausea quickly settling in result to the uncovering truth. Hitched breaths, one after another, expelled from him. The loss of control ran havoc on his mind.

Aleena approached her son, acknowledging his reluctancy to look her way. Her eyes moved towards his gloved hands, mentally preparing herself for his scarring beneath the material. "Let me see, Sonic." She said firmly.

"Mum..."

"Sonic." She scolded him.

Their eyes met only for a moment, allowing him to see the stern facial expression she held before he looked away. Notifying his lack of protest, his mother gingerly removed the gloves from his hands; first the left, perfectly intact. She shot out a sigh of relief before moving onto the right. Taking more care than previously, she slowly moved off the right glove until she saw the devastation beneath.

She gasped loudly, stepping back from the boy. Her heart desolating on first glance. She wept aloud, her heart breaking even further the more she would stare.

Poor treatment of his burns had caused a wet shine over his healing skin. Previous blisters, now burst and mending had left bright red layers of skin in the open. The remaining skin still rich in oxidised blood; burgundy brown. The blackening of the upper layers of skin were gradually fading with time, though by the markings of his burns, it appeared severely deep; second degree at most. A wound which required medical attention had gone amiss due to his fear of exposure.

Exposure of whom? She could only speculate.

She turned to her husband, watching him gazing at their son's hand. He seemed on edge. No longer enraged, but rather panicked.

And that reaction was enough for her to know what had happened.

Subconsciously, the mother shook her head in disbelief towards her husband, fresh tears covering the stains already streaked on her face. Her body language, her anguish, it confirmed her knowledge, confirmed his exposure.

"Alley-" Jules said, humbled by his own anxiety.

"No." She cried, condemning her husband by denying his hand stretching out to her. "You- You promised. You swore on our marriage that you'd never lay a finger on him again!"

"I didn't! I-I-I swear!" He lied through his panic. "Sonic! Tell your mother." He demanded his eldest son, his eyes dancing wildly.

"Sonic?" Manic leaned forward to view his brother's response. The genius found himself in denial, ill-equipped for such information. He refused to believe it. He couldn't possibly have idolised this man for years, did all he could to get his approval and even going as far as to envy the relationship Sonic had with him, when all the while, his brother was getting abused. How could he have not seen it? How could he have not seen the signs?

His body stiffened. Oh, but of course he had. The withdrawn, more stern nature his brother possessed was far from the assertive, domineering child he had grown up with. He had naturally taken this development as maturity, but with his brother's timid behaviour throughout the night, he was beginning to piece it all together.

And Sonic had been the one to place the last piece to that puzzle. His intimidated glance towards their father's own minatory expression. A silent order to comply or face the consequences.

"I..." Sonic muted voice spoke. Discomposed by the man's features, the hero slowly turned to his mother and submitted to the conditioning he was sworn to. "I did this."

"Sonic." Amy protested.

Jules however stepped forward, preventing her from speaking any further. "See? Do you really think I'd risk losing you and destroying our family? I already came so close to losing you before. I wouldn't risk it again."

The youngest girl looked to her mother, devastation ensuing. The anger in her diminishing from her gullibility. Her compliance aggravated her. How could she be so naive? So oblivious to her son's agony? She was convinced it was ignorance. Hearing what she wanted rather than dive into factuality.

She couldn't let this go on. Not when she knew her father was to repeat his punishment on her lover once the situation was diffused.

Shaking her head, the pink hedgehog balled her fists and confronted her parents. "Do you seriously believe him?!" She stood firmly before her mother. "You know what he's like, what he's capable of. How can you be so quick to turn your eyes away from the obvious?!"

"Amy." Jules admonished his child, hoping to silence her. "Don't speak to your mother like that!"

She disobeyed him. "He's lying to you! He has been lying to you for years! The whole time he had Sonic in Mercia, he was abusing him!"

"Amy-!"

"No!" She screamed at her father. "You won't get away with this!" She turned to her siblings, revealing more to the story. "That day he left, the black eye. That was him! He took Sonic into his office and attacked him for exposing our relationship!" She then moved back to her mother. "The reason why Sonic's hand is damaged is from electrical burns. After being strapped to a lie detector that shocked him whenever he lied! Why do you think he was gone for an extra three months, after everyone was brought back to Central City? It was because of him! All of this is because of him!"

A strong hand pulled on her shoulder, forcing her to turn back to its owner. Her father stared down at her, expressing deep pain. "Do you hate your father so much that you would believe the words of everyone else before hearing his side?" He looked to his wife and two quizzical children. "You've seen him lie to all of us. He had us all convinced that his infatuation with his sister was over. Turns out that was just apart of an act."

"And who do you think taught him how to lie? Who taught him to conceal who he truly is, just so he would fit to an ideal?" She glared at the man.

Growing progressively angry, the father approached his daughter, towering over her with burning aureate orbs reigning down. "If he is as conditioned as you claim he is, why would he break away from his ideal mold and continue to lie and disobey to be with you?"

Refusing to give in to his intimidation, Amy swallowed hard and returned the aggression. "Because he loves me." Her dad growled in disgust, turning away from her in rejection to her claim. "He loves me so much that he tolerated your abuse until he was back here with me."

Jules lowered his head, refusing to hear anymore about their profession. Their desire to destroy his ideal was their motivation. Nothing more.

"Amy..." Her lover muttered. His solemn voice beckoned her to look his way. His hand closing over hers, he smiled bittersweet. "It's okay." He said, defeated by the confrontation. There was no going back from what had been done, what was said. The only way was to go forward and take the consequences; both his own and hers.

Witnessing the obligation he had to the discipline, the pink female whimpered, her tears resurfacing in her glazing eyes. He had given up. But she hadn't given up on him.

"I'm so sorry." She whispered through her whimpering.

"Huh-?"

**Zip!**

A gathering of gasps and cries ejected into the kitchen. Alerted by their outcry, Jules turned back to his family. Horror possessed his features. An anvil of terror dropping into the chasm of his stomach.

The bruises. The atrocious, excruciating discolouration of his chest and abdomen. Patches more brutal than others, all still visible evidence of his animosity.

"He did this to you?!" Aleena exclaimed to her son, pointing towards her husband.

"Sonic-" Jules began. He was immediately cut off by his wife.

"I'm asking him, not you." She told him before looking back to her eldest. "Darling, please. I need you to be completely honest. Did he do this to you?"

Hesitant to what was to come, the blue hedgehog kept reserved. Unknowing what was to become of him and his lover prevented him from affirming what they wanted to hear. The strings of indoctrination were firmly binding him to the puppet master. Unable to see the future, unable to break free from the pain he had become familiar with.

A gentle, warm hand found its way to his face. In his vulnerability, he flinched, instantly turning to his mother.

Awestruck.

There it was again. The nurturing love of a mother portrayed in her doting yet earnest expression. His missing imperative. The distant warmth he recalled from his childhood. How she would take him in her arms and smother him in her love, make him feel secure in knowing that he was accepted no matter his choices. It was all she had ever done for him; empower him.

And with her empowerment, he found the strength to face the lies he had told.

Emerald hues connecting, he allowed his mother to see his pain, his suffering. All spilling out through his agonising grimace. "Yeah..." He spoke through his breaking voice, the weight of his woe weighing down his heavy head once more.

"Oh. Oh my poor baby." She cried, pulling her child into her arms. They wrapped around his neck, bringing his weighty head against her shoulder as she stroked his drooping quills. She cradled him lovingly, soothing him through his unveiling. A tear, many more, trembling body and a legion of sorrowful sobs.

Her head turned back to her husband, her maternal instinct dominating the former disquieted nature she bore. The tables had turned; for she was incensed while her husband displayed his mortification.

"How could you? Your son? Your perfect little boy? All those years you had him under your wing and all that time, you were showing him nothing but cruelty!"

Hawked eyes all falling on the father, all filled with hatred, repulse, bewilderment. Such strong, negative emotion he never believed he would receive from his idyllic family. The cover unfolded, an end to his vision. What only remained was the blemished, unsound structure of broken unity. A warzone; he against his own.

How wretched they had formed.

His identity on view, he defended his tarnished persona. "I did what I had to do to keep this family in tact! Everything I've done was for us!"

"You're a liar!" She screamed. "You did this for yourself! To break him!"

"I was doing him a favour! Without my supervision, he would've become a complete execrable lecher!"

"Supervision? You call beating your son, supervision?! You made him terrified of you! Constantly looking over his shoulder, living a lie. You- you turned our self-assured, positive son into a withdrawn, anguished child. How can you live with yourself knowing what you did to him?"

"He drinks..." Sonic mumbled, slowly lifting himself off his mother's shoulder. "Brodvoxin. He's addicted to brodvoxin."

Appalled, his family condemned him with their disgraced glares and glowering faces.

His wife's being the most disturbing. "I can't believe I was so foolish to let you stay in our lives after the pain you have caused."

"Aleena. I can change. I swear to you that I can!" Her husband pleaded.

"You had the opportunity! For seven years, you made me believe our decision to separate Sonic and Amy was for the best and that we'd be a loving family like we once were... But that was just more lies wasn't it?"

"No."

"Then how did you expect to recover from this?! Did you think we'd be a happy family after everything you've caused? If you want to blame anyone for the family failings, you'd better be taking a hard look at yourself!"

"None of this would've happened if he wasn't a incestuous freak!" Jules yelled.

"Don't talk about him like that!" Aleena stomped across the tiled floor and stood before her husband.

He raised his head, looking down at his wife, baffled by her confrontation. "Are you really gonna try and challenge me?"

Grabbing her mother's shoulder, Sonia pulled the woman back, allowing herself and her siblings to step forward and create a defence in front of her. "No, she won't. But we'll take you on." She said with determination.

The man gasped, heartbroken by his daughter's opposition. "Sonia. Princess. You really want to do this?"

"No, I really don't. But I won't let you hurt anyone else." She told him, getting in battle stance.

Disappointed by his daughter, he turned to his second born. "Manic. I supposed you wish to turn on your father as well?"

Manic scoffed. "Can I really call you that? You've done nothing for me except make me feel inferior. Funny how you suddenly remember you have more than one son when your world's falling apart, huh?"

Tutting in defiance to his son's statement, Jules took a step back, shaking his head at his children. "Disappointment. Every one of you." He sighed, pulling his phone from his pocket. "I never wanted to do this... But if a fight is what you're wanting, so be it." He brought the device to his lips, staring at his family as he spoke the secretive words. "Blue Devil."

"Blue Devil... ?" Sonia thought aloud.

"Only someone with a pure heart holds the potential to control chaos energy. Without it, they have the power to destroy the entire world. As you demonstrated in front of thousands of your peers at the Heroes' Cut, your heart is filled with darkness." He said to the blue teen. "We can't allow a rogue in our regiment... So we'll dispose of it."

Sonic eyes widened, horror-struck. His uncontrollable frenzy at the ceremony had resulted in a military operation for his arrest should he fall out of line once more. Orchestrated by his father.

He had been sentenced by his own dad.

A beaming light came through the living room windows, the reverberant sounds of a helicopter close in range caught their ears. Military surveillance.

Buying his brother some time, Manic charged forward and brought a lethal punch to Jules's jaw, knocking him to the floor, allowing Sonia to pin the general down. "Sonic, get out of here!" Manic demanded.

Nodding back at his brother, Sonic prepared himself to break down the kitchen door and make his escape.

Until a smaller hand grasped his own. "Take me with you." Amy pleaded.

He denied her with the withdrawal of his hand. "Are you serious?! I'm an enemy of the State! If you come along, you'll become a fugitive too!"

"I'll become the world's enemy if that means I'll be with you."

An exchange of besotted gazes was short lived. Nodding back at his girlfriend, Sonic turned to his mother. "Mum..."

Without protest, she planted a brisk kiss to her childrens' foreheads, bringing both of her children into a tight hug, fearful for their safety. "I love you both. So much." She said, pulling away from the pair and expressing a warming smile. "Go. Go, quickly!"

Lifting the pink hedgehog into his arms, Sonic spin dashed through the kitchen door, shattering the glass from his forceful impact. Propelling at staggering speeds, the renegade couple were lost to their enemy, darting into the distance.

Knowing their escape would only be a small victory. Still under the eyes of corrupted general, their every move would be held against them.


	13. Weighed Down with Burden

Chapter Thirteen: Weighed Down with Burden

"What'll it be, Sir?" Questioned the exuberant male chimp from behind his stall.

The swarming collection of chatter competed with the ruckus sounds of piling traffic and incessant horns. It was the everyday regularity for the metropolitan city. With it's bustling streets; all connected like a vast, elaborate maze. It's development neverending. Destined to reach the skies with its towering buildings. Their tall, smooth windows casting the azure skies and luminous golden sun.

Empire City. As monumental and revered as it's name implied. A renowned region in the heart of Northamer.

Situated in the far reaching outskirts of the city, an open market dealt it's daily dealings. A variant selection of stalls occupying their own designated areas. From clothes stalls, to food stands. News kiosk to miscellaneous merchants. A choice for anyone and everyone alike.

"Latest world news here! See here; Ongoing search for two mighty renegades goes global! Missing; Sonic The Hedgehog!" Hollered the owner from the news stand, holding up the papers in either hand for the onlookers to see. "Get your news here! Only two rings a piece!"

The man's selling pitch had enticed an elderly, green hedgehog. She scanned the front cover of the newspaper intensely, sapphire eyes fixated on the male hedgehog. "Missing, you say?" She enquired the beige pelted eagle.

He nodded back at her. "Quite the story if you ask me. Kid's supposed to be one of those new heroes from Eurish. Been messing with that chaos energy 'nd what have you and caused him to awry! Dangerous stuff if you ask me. That's what they get for trusting kids to be soldiers. Far too young for that kinda life."

She said nothing in response, choosing to nod in agreement. Her eyes drifted back onto the young boy on the front page. Empathy enclosed her face, bringing on a woeful grimace. Another life,

a victim to what had been.

"Hey, Mom! Did you want anything?!" Called her middle aged son, Farlan. The woman looked back over her shoulder at the auburn haired wolf standing in front of a burger stall.

She raised a finger, gesturing for more time before pulling out the required currency from her bag. Placing the two rings in the man's hand, she picked up her own copy of the news and scanned the information as she walked over to her son.

"So, did you want anything?" The man asked his mother. He gave her a moment to respond. Her answer however never came. Too inversed in the newspaper, his question went unheard. "Mother... ?"

The green hedgehog eventually lifted her head. "Hm? Oh, I'll have whatever you're having, Dear." She replied vaguely, returning back to her reading.

Curiosity overcame him to see his mother so intrigued by the news. The woman he called a mother was one filled with mystery. Beyond her loving smile and enthused character, there had always been pain. A hidden trauma he could never be sure of. That same glint of angst in her eyes alarmed him. Just what could be her trigger?

"Interesting read?" He dared to ask, knowing her answer would be as cryptic as her order.

"Two children are missing. Soldiers in fact. Nasty business." She said, looking sorrowfully to the young, blue boy's image.

Her looks of grief didn't miss her child's eyes. "Tragic situation. I hope they're found soon. Their parents must be worried sick."

"Yeah... Parents..." She trailed, head deep in the papers.

"Here you go, Sir!" The stall owner held out two food boxes containing two burgers and fries for his customer to take. "Two bacon double cheeseburgers with fries."

He breathed in the delectable fragrances of the charcoal grilled beef. Two, thick, meaty slabs promising to ooze their juices on the first bite now sandwiched in a succulent blend of sweet caramelised onions, smoked, sizzling bacon and gooey, melting cheese. Garnished with freshly washed lettuce and sublime red tomatoes, it competed with the size of a brawny man's hand. A hearty meal to satisfy the hungriest of consumers.

"Ahhh..." He drooled. "I can't wait to devour it!"

"Isn't it a beauty? Won't find another burger like this in the whole of Empire City! One of a kind. The best of the best!"

"Well you have me sold!" Remarked the wolf, pulling out sixteen rings from his jacket. As the rings were passed to the stall owner, a strong gust of wind swept through the market.

The roofs of the stalls violently shook, their grounding jittered ever so slightly out of place. A vortex of papers scattered into the air, sheets dispersing from their gathering and fluttering up into the atmosphere.

Screams and groans of discomfort sounded through the market with the people covering their eyes from the harsh winds. Many citizens dropped to the ground and endured the chilling, abrupt tempest billowing over them. Disheveled their pelts quickly became in the unnatural air.

As sudden as it appeared, the wind blast rapidly faded. Perplexed, the people were cautious to get back onto their feet. Many looked up at the sky, gazing at the heatless sun shining amongst the blue. Not a dark cloud, nor any cloud to be seen.

Arms secured around his mother, Farlan slowly moved away from her, helping her rise to her feet once securing his own footing. "Odd. The forecast never said anything about a freak windstorm." He said, looking around at the damage. Focusing back on his mother, he placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. "You alright, Mom?"

"Yes... Yes, I think so." She answered him, taken back by the anomaly that was the weather.

Reassured enough by his mother's response, the son turned back to the burger stall and was flabbergasted to find his meals were gone. "Eh?! My burger!"

The owner looked around his stall and the ground around them, just as astonished by the disappearance of the burgers. No discarding was found on the stone pavings or across his counter. They had vanished. It was questionable. Had they been taken with the wind?

"I'm so sorry about this. Let me replace your meal." He apologised to his customers.

His shock now subsided, the man waved his hand at the stall owner. "Hey, it's okay, honestly. You put a lot of work into the last two meals, so I'll pay for these too." The auburn wolf smiled genuinely.

"Oh, I couldn't possibly charge you for something you never received."

"Then think of it as a donation for appreciating your skills. Gotta support great business and all." Farlan enthused, digging through his pocket once more for more rings. To his surprise, he found a piece of paper sitting above his money. Intrigued, he pulled out the paper and examined it.

_I.O.U._

_Sorry._

_B_ _._

"B?" He thought aloud. "Who's B?"

Unapparent to the bemused wolf and the rest of the shaken crowd, a faint glimmer of blue could be captured in the bountiful green of the distant mountains. It came and went in a flicker of an eye, only to be a sight of wonder if spotted.

Once more, the blue wind had remained undetectable by the citizens of nearby civilisation of their chosen hideaway. Only the remorseful notes left by the blue hedgehog were the only clues of his appearance.

A worldwide distribution of guilt expressed to their victims.

* * *

Smooth and unruffled came the river's natural flow, correlating with the environment around it; reeds bending in the light wind across it's banks, overshadowed by the bowing willow trees tickling the surface of the cool, reflective water. Together they nattered through faint murmurs over the serene, trickling blue, unsilenced by the distant gushing of a humble waterfall further up the stream as the more brisk, arduous currents fell over sleek, marbled rock.

Following the waterfall's origin would lead to the ominous, jagged mountains. It's snow dusted peaks reigning over the plentiful clouds surrounding them. They cloaked the slopes in a crisp, moisturising mist, forming the lightest of droplets upon the leaves down below.

Breaking through the formation of the majestic mountains was a cave. A gaping entrance, intimidating on first glance with it's knobbly rocks and stalagmites protruding from either corner, deceived the most adventurous explorers. It was welcoming, hospitalised as much as nature commanded. Offering those brave enough to pass the opening to take shelter within.

Smooth marble stone offered fair comfort, it's luminous shimmer beckoning the sun's light to brighten their potential. The light it gathered illuminated the modest pool on the left side of the cave. Untouched by the wildlife inhabiting the river affront, it's clear complexion begged to be ingested, satisfying thirsty appetites with no consequence.

Mount Crystalback. North of Empire City. Enriched by its well produced forests, was a spectacular landscape worthy of mention and discovery.

Though it had just as many flaws. While it was inviting to Mobian and undomesticated animal alike, it also welcomed the cold of winter. Gentle yet brittle, the breeze whistled like an unwanted guest throughout the cave, it's whistle voluminous in the chilling night where it was much less appreciated.

Approached again by the winter's call, Sonic shivered ever so, bringing his hands above the campfire. Warmed below satisfactory, he looked to the girl wrapped up beneath the thermal blanket they had roguishly claimed. Her features were discomforted; unsettled with narrowing creases in her facial muscles. A nightmare? He could only assume.

She shortly awakened from her slumber. Gradually adjusting to the sights and sounds of her environment, she turned her head towards the fire, her eyes falling on the blue hero beside it.

"Morning, Sonic..." She spoke with a groggy tone, still in the process of awakening.

Her lover chuckled, leading her to stare back at him quizzically. "Afternoon to you, Sleeping Beauty."

"Ack-!" She gasped. Throwing the covers off her body. "What time is it?!"

"Well, when I was collecting resources from Empire City, it was 11:00am. By the time I got back here, the sun was at centre point, so I guess it must be 13:27pm... Hold up." Before she could lower her eyelids to blink, the boy had disappeared and reappeared simultaneously. "It's 13:34pm... I was close." He shrugged off his mild miscalculation.

Bewildered by his findings, Amy lowered her head in guilt. She had overslept, surpassing the time he needed to recuperate. "I'm sorry. I should've woken up a lot sooner."

"Hey, don't worry about it, Ames. It's been a tough week or so. You need the rest." He smiled back at her, insisting there were no hard feelings over her lie in.

His words spoke truth. Counting nine days as vagabonds, the pair had been in constant run-ins with the Eurish military. From hand-in-hand combat with their fellow soldiers, to fleeing and uprooting. It was excruciating. As they found a moment's rest within Eurish, their father was close behind them. No matter their efforts to evade the army, the tracking device deeply rooted into his system left them exposed

And so with their hiding spots drastically running out, her hero performed his most bravest venture.

Overseas.

Reminiscing over his actions brought her heart into a marathon of quickened beats. Pridefully she witnessed the boy, terrorised by his past trauma and the agony of his father's punishment surface momentarily onto his masculine features, only to become so enamoured by his forgotten passion for running at undocumented speed. No longer having to abide by a controlled speed limit, he took off, excelling all rapidity.

And his joy? Oh how joyful he was. His gruelling expression and aching grip on her body had vanished the faster he ran. He let out a astounded breath, then an enlightened smile, then he was gleefully laughing and cheering across the vast deep.

It was rather symbolic. The more he would let loose and embrace his power, the further away they became from the tyrannic general; physically and mentally.

With this evasive freedom, they had explored many treasures the world had to offer; from the tropical Xanadu of Adabat, to the glacial wonders of Holoska. A worldwide vacation, with guaranteed interception by the military.

Both thrilling yet exhausting ordeal. And as the main form of transport through the whole escape, she deemed it was him who would need more energy.

He desperately needed the rest. As she gazed over to the male, she took in every physical symptom to his fatigue. Shoulders slouched by pained muscles, how he would seam his eyes shut and instantly snap them back open. His legs jittered every now and then, a desperate plea to be put to rest. His overexertion was wearing him down, now beyond his limits and running on his forced vigilance.

She maintained her gaze until he acknowledged her staring. "You haven't slept at all..." She pointed out.

"Don't worry 'bout me. When you're as fast as I am, you pack a lot of energy." He shrugged off her concern, bringing a small smile to his lips.

"You may be the fastest thing alive, but you're also a mortal, just like everybody else. You need to rest just as much, if not more so than me."

Her facts pricked away at his ego, making him less assertive in his own abilities to protect her. Nonetheless, he brushed off her concerns, his determination to keep her safe unintentionally coming across as stubbornness. "Ames, relax. Whatever comes our way, I can handle it. 'Sides, I can't keep still for too long, it'll give off our location if I do."

"You realise I know you, right?" She sighed woefully, desperate for her beloved to lose his facade. "You don't have to be a hero all the time. There's no need to try 'nd protect me when I already know how to handle myself. We agreed to take turns to rest, so please... please fall back onto me and let me be your hero for a change."

Still adamant to not let his guard down, he looked back at the flickering flames of red, orange and yellow. The crackling of smoking sticks being the ambience to their silence.

Her eyes softened, taking pity on the hero. For her lover, to ask such a thing from him was a complicated, difficult request. Many characteristics, ownership and rights had been taken away from him during his time under their father; his joy, his confidence, his liberty. Other than her love, his role became his purpose. For the love he received for his heroic efforts had been the only glimmer of hope he carried in order to endure his childhood.

To ask him to put his heroics aside, from his perspective, was to strip away another part of him.

She shook her head, clearing her mind and changing her tactic of approach. "Honestly, if things do get outta hand with the military, I can't really drag your tired butt across the country. Not as fast as you could anyway." She smiled at him as he looked back at her. "I need you at your best if we're gonna get away again."

He hadn't considered that possiblity. In order to care for her, he needed to care for himself. Amy was more than able to defend him and herself from multiple soldiers, but to fight them all off and then pack up and bail with him barely alert, the pressure was too great.

Succumbing to her logic, the blue hedgehog gathered his findings and walked over to the girl. He took a seat beside her, crossing his legs and bringing the bag in front of him. "You got me. I'll hit the hay as soon as we've filled our stomachs." He said, revealing two boxes containing burgers and fries. Condensation left droplets of water forming on top, the moisture running through into the food. "Sorry it's cold, got it from a marketplace earlier." He told her, handing her a box.

Opening the container, she gazed down at the meal, her stomach roaring for her to feast. "I'd eat anything at this point. I'm starved! Although, I don't know if I can finish all of this... It looks like it's made for two people to share." Picking up the cold touched, soggy fry, she instantly remembered their code. "You left an IOU, didn't you?"

"Sure I did. I don't want people thinking I'm a permanent thief." He insisted, delving into his burger without further adieu.

"And you left your fake name on there?"

"Mm-" He nodded, swallowing his mouthful. "Obviously. Bobby's the name, stealing's my game."

She giggled lightly in response. Satisfying her hunger, she took her burger in hand and bit into it. "Mmm, I don't know if it's hunger talking but this is the best burger I've ever had."

"No kidding. Once this is all over and I pay off my debts, I'll take us back there." He looked back at the fire, losing himself in it's glowing embers. "Now that I think about it, I doubt we'll be getting our trust accounts after all of this." He chuckled, bittersweet.

She looked down solemnly. Yet another thing holding them back. "How much did you earn on your missions? I can imagine it's a hell of a lot more than I've made."

"About eighty thousand." He said casually. Pausing in mid bite, he witnessed her shocked face. "What?" He laughed.

"How can you call out such a heavy sum of rings and still be as casual as you are?! I've only made about sixteen thousand over the last seven years. I thought you'd be in a similar rank!"

"Well I don't know exactly how they work it all out, but in Mercia, I was earning a thousand rings a mission. We completed eighty. I think everyone else got paid five hundred a mission and as their officer, I got the extra... But what with Dad being determined to ruin our careers, I think it's safe to say we've lost it..."

Head remaining south, Amy expelled her growing turmoil through a shaken breath, unnerved by the sacrifices they were equally bearing. Just another potential sacrifice to add to her plagued mind.

Hearing the nerves in her voice, he turned to her. "You alright?"

"Erm- Yeah. I'm okay..." She blatantly lied, biting her lip once turning away from him.

"You realise I know you, right?" He teased her with her own words, reminding her that she was just as readable to him as he was to her. "What's got you all worked up? Y'know, other than our lives on the line?" He joked, causing her to laugh with him as a result.

Taking another breath, she gathered her words before she spoke, hesitant to speak of her possible dilemma. "I, err- had a bad dream while you were gone."

Sonic nodded back at her. "I did notice you looked a little disturbed. What'cha dream about?"

Again, the pink hedgehog hesitated, her lip quivering in fear. "I was pregnant... Homeless, on the run... and pregnant."

Heart beating out of sync, Sonic looked back at the fire, distracting himself once more from the pang of anxiety tugging at his heartstrings. His gloved hands balled into fists, squeezing tightly in an effort to remain calm.

"I'm probably just paranoid what with Dad being so forceful with the pill. I never got to take it. If he hadn't been so angry, I would've taken it. He just scared me in that moment."

"You're not to blame for his anger, Amy. Like, I totally get that he would be mad about us, completely understandable. But that doesn't give him a right to put his hands on you. If he had better control of himself, we wouldn't have to worry about this."

Her appetite was quickly vanquished from the pit in her stomach taking up all available room. Placing her burger back into the box, she moved the food away from her, bringing her hands to rest against her stomach. "I'm not saying I wouldn't love to have a child... It's just-"

"Bad timing?" He finished her sentence.

"Yes." She breathed out in her relief to be understood. "We're practically criminals right now, running from cave to cave, forest to forest. And most of all, we're just not fit to be parents." Impassioned by her pain, her eyes rained her agony. "I'm sorry..."

Leaning forward slightly to see the gushing of tears, Sonic dropped his food and pulled her into his consoling embrace. "Hey, it's alright. You don't need to apologise for anything."

His lover endeavoured to hold back her disordered sobbing. "I just-" She wept. Inhaling deeply, she attempted to gain little control to speak. "I just feel like such a burden on you." Cried the young girl, looking down at her fiddling fingers. "I chose, begged even, to come with you and I'm only holding you back with the possibility of carrying a baby."

" _My_ baby. Our baby." He dipped his head to display his smile before her. "You're the reason I'm still going. The only thing keeping me here."

A moment's pause allowed him to re-evaluate what he had said. Perhaps speaking too much from the heart. Her response to his wording left him just as regretful. Uncertain and somewhat alarmed.

He cleared his throat, rethinking his wording before talking once more. "You'll never be a burden to me so don't ever think that. Not even for a second. Heck, if you're supposedly holding me back, then I'm doing the exact same thing to you. You worked so hard to be a hero and I've pretty much turned you into a renegade."

"But I wanted to be with you."

"And I'm grateful to have you with me." Staring down at her stomach, he placed a hand over her own. "Whatever the situation, we'll get through it together. If you are pregnant, we'll have a little renegade. If not, we'll celebrate to a childless adolescence." He chuckled. "Until we know for sure, we'll just focus on surviving."

Reassured by his consolation, she smiled back at him. The remains of her tears making their exit down her cheeks. "Okay." He nuzzled his nose against her hair before releasing her from his hold. "But..." She interjected, her eyes following the blue hedgehog as he rested his back again the cool marble stone. "From now on, we need to be careful. And I'm not talking about that method we used back in Yurashia."

Sonic grinned bashfully. "I know, I know. The next time I'm gathering resources, I'll get protection."

"Thank you." She smiled adoringly back at him. Grabbing the thermal blanket, she pulled it over their bodies and nestled against him. "Sleep well, Bobby." She snickered.

"You too, Roxy." He smiled, closing his eyes and subsequently avoiding her puzzled expression.

"My cover name is Jane."

"Whatever you say, Roxy." He grinned, pulling her close to him.

Rolling her eyes at the blue leader, Amy gave in with a humoured smile on her lips. Her arm wrapped securely around his waist, she contently allowed her troubles to evaporate and her body to relax against her lover. The hardships that came with their circumstances were easily forsaken in the arms of one another.

Providing the remedy to tranquil slumber.

* * *

"Would you like more tea, Mrs The Hedgehog?"

Wary eyes once settled on the fashioned netting over the pristine window frame shortly drifted back to the young girl before her. Stood patiently beside the coffee table, she beared a beaming smile while awaiting the answer from the mother of four.

The sweet, young rabbit, wise beyond her years, strongly resembled her mother in both her features and calm temperament. A blessed child, raised by her blessed friend that had disregarded everything said in the past and forgot all the time apart to take in her old friend and her children in need.

"Oh, thank you, Dear. That would be lovely." She beared a brief smile and watched as the child poured tea into her cup. With a swig of a spoon, she was handed the beverage from the young rabbit. "Thank you, Dear."

"You're welcome, Auntie Alley." Cream said, maintaining her encouraging smile. Noticing the woman's lips forcing a meekly gesture of gratitude, she sought to assure her. "I'm sure Sonic and Amy are just fine."

Taken back by the child's thoughtful words, Aleena beared her more genuine happiness. "You know, I think you're right, Cream."

The mother to the young rabbit walked through the hallway and into the living, carrying a plate of biscuits in hand. She briefly watched the scene from where she stood, acknowledging the woman's pain and her daughter's efforts to console her. She pridefully gazed at her little girl, praising her in mind. Nevertheless, she deemed her friend required a more in-depth consolation. A more adult reassurance and empathy.

Wandering over to the coffee table, Vanilla placed the plate on the surface and sat beside Aleena. "Cream, sweetie. Why don't you run along and play?"

"Okay, Mummy." Cream enthusiastically complied. Bowing her head to the women, the child skipped merrily towards the stairs, leaving her mother and aunt to their private conversation.

For a moment they would listen to light footsteps of the cheerful child. Far from the pitter patter that once roamed. There was beauty in those appreciated sounds. Memories held so tightly by the bearers. So deeply missed.

The footsteps fading up the stairs, Aleena turned to the woman beside her, praising her on her parenting. "You certainly raised a wonderful child, Vanilla. She's so angelic."

Vanilla beamed. "Thank you. But I can't take all the glory. Cream is naturally loving and caring. She must've gotten that from her father."

"I'm sure she did. Though her mother is just as loving and caring. You've done so much for me and my children. Even after I was so bitter and cruel to you all those years ago..." She looked ahead, feeling her emotions coming back to her. "I truly am sorry... For everything."

"Oh, Alley. You're always the same." She giggled. "We've been through this. It's in the past now."

"Only it isn't, is it?" The hedgehog said, looking back to her friend. "Because that coldness and bitterness I gave to you was a mere projection of what I have always had. A broken family. A tattered, broken family; filled with lies... incest." She chuckled at the obscenity of her reality. Shaking her head, she peered down at her lap and held back her sobs. "I tried to mask the reality and hurt you deeply in the process. All these years I've missed out on your little Cream's growth, kept the children away... All because of my own wretchedness."

Her sobs could no longer be held back. Unchained, they bore her pain. Her hand acted as a barrier to her cries but thin it compared to her anguish.

With care, Vanilla pulled a quill away from the woman's face, placing it behind her shoulder and giving her friend a tender caress on her back. "You have carried so much grief all this time. It's only natural for you to bear that grief somehow."

"And I did so to the only person I could turn to when everyday life was too much to deal with. When I needed a sister to relate to." Keeping her gaze on her tea, the purple woman scoffed at the idiocy she preached. "But then, how do you tell anyone that your son and your daughter can't keep their hands off one another?" She spoke with distaste.

"I-" Vanilla stuttered. "Uh, well... It's like you said. Amy is adopted, no? So it's not by blood... technically." She awkwardly verified.

Aleena tutted, taking a sip of her tea. "Technicalities can't help me through this. All I could see in that moment was my son and my daughter... my babies, both disorderly and in disarray after they-" Closing her eyes, she expelled the memory from her mind. "And yet, despite all that, I want to understand it. I want to understand why they'd risk it all for their relationship. Are they truly in love? And if so, should I, as a mother, tell them it's wrong or support them?"

Nodding her head to Aleena's thoughts, Vanilla contemplated her situation. A messy situation it seemed to be. Though through the mess, there was clearance. Time, ongoing struggle, failed punishments and even heavy abuse hadn't immobilised their relationship. Even if it was difficult to digest, it was plain to see. Her children were in love. With a bond that stood against all obstacles, including their mortality.

"This may be hard to hear, but I genuinely believe they have found love in each other. Such display of devotion is quite uncommon for children their age after all. But maybe I'm not the best person to take this kind of advice from. You're not the only mother to experience this kind of thing and you definitely won't be the last. You could get advice from other families maybe? Or maybe even a therapist?"

"I've always thought of taking them to therapy. Get professional help... Jules on the other hand was all for the separation and abusing our son to comply... If only I had stood up to him, for Sonic's sake, perhaps they wouldn't be so drawn to one another now. Maybe my son wouldn't be so traumatised."

"I still can't believe Jules would ever do such a thing. He seemed so genuine and the love he would show to all of you... It's shocking."

More guilt chiselled at her heart. Looking down at her lap, Aleena bit her bottom lip, fearful of how her words would be perceived. "I always knew there was a darkness within him. It would show itself every now and again but-" Sighing, she tightened her grip on the cup. "I just loved him so much, I... I allowed him to tear this family apart. To hurt our boy. I could've left so long ago, when he signed the kids over to the military without my consent... But I chose to stay because he meant everything to me." A faint squeal squeezed through her sunken lips as the raw truth began to arise. "I still love him, V. I know I shouldn't, but I do. After everything he's done, I should be hating him, wanting to rip his quills out for hurting my babies... But apart of me still wants to cling onto him."

She shook her head, enraged with her own logic. Her own way of thought was wrong, detestable. From the moment she learnt of her son's abuse, all ties with her husband; emotionally, were meant to switch off... Only they hadn't. Not entirely.

It made her feel deplorable as a mother. As a protector to her children. She had failed them before and by holding onto her love, she was continuing her betrayal.

"Hey..." Vanilla soothed the agonised woman. "Aleena, what you're feeling is totally normal. Give yourself a break. You were with Jules for nearly thirty years. You had a whole life together. It was only more or less two weeks ago that you found out about your children, the lies and the abuse. You're going through so much, even now."

"But I'm their mother. I should've known all of this. Picked up on the change in behaviours. I couldn't even do that for them!" Aleena sobbed, her head hanging over her lap. "I don't even know where Sonic and Amy are. If they're okay. It's all such a big mess!"

"Mum?"

Moisturised eyes snapped open to the sound of her daughter. Wiping away her tears, Aleena looked over her shoulder to see Manic and Sonia standing beside the living door. They held compassion for their mother, giving her concerned looks of sympathy.

In hopes of putting on a brave face, Aleena smiled through her tears, wiping the remaining away. "Oh, hello Darlings. How's the, um, electronic thingy coming along?"

Manic held up his creation in his hand. A black, steel bracelet. On occasion, the electrical currents appeared in blue, coursing through the band. "Managed to make something with the little resources I had." He said, looking to the device. "It's pretty much an Electromagnetic Accelerator. Once Sonic puts it on, it'll create a charge of electrons to cut off the chip implant."

"That's great, Dear."Aleena praised the prodigy. "But it won't hurt Sonic, will it?"

A nerved breath came from the tense teen. "Well, like I said, what with having limited resources at Uncle Chuck's place, plus having conjured this thing up in less than two weeks, I couldn't really run any tests. If anything, it'll give him a little jolt. Like a punch to the back." He rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly.

"It'll have to do for now." Sonia stared, nodding to her brother to express her praise. "I've managed to gather some of the heroes to stand against Dad and his goons. Not everyone believes Sonic's some crazy, speeding warlock with chaos emeralds at his disposal."

"Say... I wonder where the emeralds are right now?" Manic questioned. "With General running the shots on this recovery mission, I wouldn't be surprised to find out he's got them harbouring somewhere." His facial muscles twitched in discomfort, a thought leaving him discouraged.

His disgruntled features caught his sister's attention. "What have you come up with now?" She stared at him.

"Nothing. Don't worry. I'm gonna send the transmission to Sonic and Amy's communicators. I'll be at Chuck's." He told them, placing the bracelet into his vest pocket and turning back to the hallway.

"Mani?" His mother called. Stunting his movement, the teen poked his head back into the living room. Displaying a sincere smile, Aleena turned her body towards him. "I'm proud of you." She spoke softly.

Her son breathed in deeply, unprepared for her uncustomary praise. Allowing himself a moment to take in his mother's isolated credit, he smiled back at her and gave a small nod before heading back out of the house.

Attending to her grieving mother, Sonia sat beside her and placed her hands over her own. "We'll get them back, Mum. We'll do everything we can to bring them back, safe and sound."

Aleena nodded her head in appreciation, delicately squeezing her daughter's hand as an act of bonded strength. "I know, Sweetheart. I don't doubt you for even a second." She said, kissing her child's forehead. "Very soon, I'll have you all back where you belong and we'll find our way again. Slowly, but surely."

Smiling in approval, Sonia rested her head on her mother's shoulder, comforting her through her silent anguish. The nurturing arms cloaked her, another sweet kiss on top of her hair.

Her mind still ran amuck with the endless possibilities of the unknown future without her husband, the development of her children's affair and the uncertainty of their morality.

But with her faith instilled into her children, there was hope found in another day.

* * *

The disturbance of swift rotational blades rattled the forestry down below. Violent squalls breezing over the tree tops and sweeping the branches in their hasty direction. Two enveloping shadows raking back the serenity that once was, bringing malignity within it's gloom.

Brisk over the mountains of Mount Crystalback, the militant aircrafts had dropped in altitude, descending close to the thicket. Close to their target. From the fuselage, the general, colonel and their fleet of twenty soldiers sat back, belted in their seats. Each one uniformed for war in dark camouflage fatigues and heavy combat boots, equipped with automatic firearms ranging between assault rifles and submachine guns. An intimidation tactic against the unyielding duo.

"This is One-Zero-Seven, Black Hawk. Requesting cons, Ringo Fife-Eight. Do you copy?" The pilot spoke through the radio.

"This is Ringo Fife-Eight. Loud and clear. Readability signal is four."

Checking his scanner in front of him, he detected the ally helicopter behind him. Their target was displayed as a red, flashing indicator, north of their position. "I'm dry feet at angels ten. Ringo Fife-Eight, is visual. Blue Wind and Rose Thorn is tally at one o'clock low."

"Roger that. Fragged and ready, Black Hawk. Over."

Eyes watchful over the masses of green below, Jules's ear twitched from his intent listening to the transmissions between the two aircrafts. Upon hearing the signal for armed artillery within the helicopter, his head span back to the pilot. "They've been given the warning to hold back ammunition, right?"

Too focused on navigating, the pilot refused to look back. "Affirmative, Sir."

"We wouldn't wish for any harm to come to your children, Jules." McGrath assured him. "This is a recovery mission. No harm is to come to them. Besides, they're kids. No matter how extraordinary their powers may be, we do not intend to take them down with weaponry."

Nodding back at his superior, Jules returned to his scoping through the window, holding a concentrative scowl as he leered down at the forest.

With heads aimed at the floor, the soldiers remained at most silent. For days, the expedition across various countries and continents for the hedgehogs had put a strain on the men and women, dampening their sense of morale. With only two successful detections and multiple failures to capture the pair of renegades, the mission began to lose it's purpose. Furthermore, it was beginning to arouse a lot of suspicion amongst the fleet.

"How do they suppose we take down two highly trained, supernatural heroes without ammunition?" A soldier by the name of Private Frigate questioned the soldiers around him. The well-built, navy blue walrus, renowned for his paranoia, gazed over at the superiors, questioning their tactics.

"You use your brain for something other than constant overthinking?" Answered his comrade, Private Jennings. A mauve furred beaver. Known as the valedictorian of her rank. Competitive and an underlining egotist, she was an all-round advanced soldier.

She snickered at his dubious expression. "I figured that would be too much for you."

"Frigate's onto something." Said the admirably compassionate tiger, Private Holdan. The soldiers fell back into their silence, awaiting to hear his views. "Think about it. We have two of the most elite soldiers deserting their positions, and rather than sending out the other heroes, they sent us out?"

"What's wrong with us?" Jennings frowned. "We may not be gifted with powers or the ability to use chaos energy, but we're trained to fight!"

"I know. We are all capable of doing this, but it doesn't answer the question as to why we were selected for this. The heroes are on their level, they can take them on with no problem. Yet have you seen the majority of the heroes in the last two weeks? Since Sonic and Amy ditched?"

Knowing the answer, the soldiers kept the answer to themselves.

"You guys are just as paranoid as Frigate over there!" Laughed Lance Corporal Sect. The arrogant, ignorant gorilla, nicknamed 'The Mountain' for his intimidating stature, sneered at the soldiers below his rank. "Those brats had it too good up in the Heroes' Cut. Clearly think they're so powerful, they can overrule the entire military, even their own father!" Tightening his grip around his assault rifles, he cocked the gun, ready for the mission. "I'll soon put them back in their place. You just watch and learn."

All glaring back at the man, they soon turned back to the ground to continue their wait.

Looking back over to the general, Frigate took in the man's sleep deprived features. Behind exhaustion, there was passion. A heated fire of brazen ferocity. One too fierce for that of a distraught father. "Something's off about this whole thing. I just don't know what it is..."

o - o - o - o - o - o - o

Gathering their belongings, Sonic poured water over the fire, extinguishing it's roaring flames. It's signalling light now brought to cinder expelled it's smoky ashes, the remains of burnt wood scorching the white marble stone.

"Ready to go?" He asked his companion. With a cheery nod, Amy adjusted the straps of the backpack and turned around to show him of her crafty arrangement. Neatly tidied and organised, she had managed to pack an abundance of necessities into one bag.

**Beep, beep. Beep, beep.**

The familiar chime of their communicators echoed through the cave, startling the couple. Eyes falling on their previously switched off devices, their attention turned to one another after seeing who was contacting them.

"A transmission from Manic?" Sonic verified with his lover. She nodded back at him. "Huh..." Clicking on the screen, they listened to the transmission from their brother.

"Sonic, Amy, it's Manic. Don't worry, this message is encrypted and can't be traced by HQ. To cut this short, I need you back here. I've come up with a way to neutralise the microchip. I'll meet you back at Chuck's Mechanics. Oh, and FYI, Dad's sent out two of the Typhoon Helicopters. Last I checked, they're heading straight for Northamer, which could only mean you're there... Anyway, talk later and don't die. Peace."

The screen faded as the message ceased. Exuberant with relief, Sonic spin dashed in circles around the pink hedgehog, shortly bursting out from his spinning sphere to take the giggling girl in his arms and spin her around in delight.

"I knew Manic would come up with somethin'. I knew it!" He gleamed.

Laughing at her boyfriend's actions, she smiled down at him. His excitement endearing her. "We'll finally be free."

"Finally." He repeated, placing the girl back onto her feet. "Been a long time coming." He smiled, placing his forehead against her own.

A distant yet distinct sound of engines rang over the calls of nature. Turning towards the source of the opposing noise getting gradually closer, Sonic tightened his fists to see a military helicopter descending over the river.

"They're here." He stated. Holding out his arms to his girlfriend, he prepared to make their getaway. "C'mon."

Rushing over to the hero, Amy allowed him to take her in her arms, securing her arms around his neck before he took off out of the entrance. He accelerated across the water, his meteoric speed creating such force to knock the helicopter off course.

"Whoa!" The pilot gasped. Activating the radio transmitter, the man alerted the ally aircraft. "Black Hawk, Blue Wind and Rose Thorn are twelve o'clock your position. Feet wet."

"Copy. Beginning punch out."

Further down the banks of the river, the soldiers of the One-Zero-Seven Black Hawk deployed from the helicopter and formed a line across either side of the river. Guns aimed straight ahead, they watched the blend of blue and pink come darting towards them. The disruption of the water beneath them rippled violently as the Blue Wind brought a surge of water spurting in his wake.

"Oh boy..." Frigate muttered, adjusting his rifle.

"Sonic The Hedgehog! We have you surrounded!" McGrath yelled. Behind his austere manner, heartache played deep within his chest. The boy whom he held so much pride for had become an aberrant by the powers of chaos. The very power that he had brought upon him had been his downfall, and he surely carried the guilt.

Though the appearance of the boy's youngest sister brought many questions. The story of his influence over her merely scratched the surface of logical. While they were of course siblings, their relationship could not be formidable enough to cause indoctrination. The pink hedgehog had never tread foot onto Mercian soil to maintain a close tie with her brother, he barely had enough time at home to establish such closeness again.

So just how did he convince a distant sibling with little to no experience with chaos energy, to turn against the military and give up her dreams of entering the Heroes' Cut?

He was highly quizzical on the whole situation. But with the two significant heroes on the run, he couldn't afford to ask any questions. His main priority was to retrieve the runaways and ask questions later.

In close proximity of the line formation, Sonic tightened his grip around the pink hedgehog. Determined, he charged towards the soldiers.

"Hold your ground!" McGrath ordered.

Ruthless footsteps slashed over the river, awakening the fearsome, traitorous water. Two towers of erupted currents getting higher in response to his blistering speed. His thundering power surged through his rapid legs and channelled into the river, bringing his message of strength to the opposition.

"Hmph!"

Metres from colliding with the soldiers, Sonic leapt over the formation and helicopter, landing back on his feet on the opposite side. In a brief, few seconds, he readjusted his footing to bail once more.

" **Sonic**!" Called the general, stepping out from a tree on the river bank. The boom of his voice reverberated in his son's legs, paralysing him on the spot.

The jolt of her lover's pause made her look up at him to see his response. As she speculated, his eyes danced with the fear he held so close for the man genetically titled father. His liberation had still not been granted. Mentally, he was still incarcerated.

"Sonic?" She spoke softly, reaching up and brushing her fingers against his cheek.

He breathed out a jittered breath and looked down at his lover, her delicate touch reviving him from his moment of confinement. Giving her a brief smile of gratitude, he looked back over his shoulder at the congregating squad behind him.

Then he vanished.

"Shit." Jules growled. Rushing over to the squad, he looked around in all directions. "Split into groups and search the area! Cover all direct-"

**Woosh!**

A gust of wind swept them to the left, knocking some of the more unsuspecting privates off their feet.

Acknowledging the strong change in wind direction, it was clear to the general that this wind was no natural wind at all. "They're still here. Stay vigilant!"

Holding their assault rifles towards the left banks of the river, the soldiers preserved their movements, listening intently for the two renegades.

**Woosh!**

Another sweeping blow came over them, directing right. All turning to towards the right bank, they cocked their guns in preparation.

"Do not fire!" Jules reminded them, holding out his arm to signal his command to disarm.

As he looked back towards the direction of the false wind, he was ambushed by the blue hedgehog from above. Bringing the girl out of his arms and tightly grasping her hand, he span her around, building ferocious vigor and sending her directly down towards the soldiers.

"Hold your fire!" Jules roared, dread falling into his voice.

Firing down like a cosmic meteor, the girl flicked her wrist, summoning her large hammer. Her mallet was brought behind her head before it was swung down on her enemy. The privates jumped back before her hammer could pummel any of them. Instead, her melee weapon delve into the rocky surface of the riverbed. The ground trembled with strong magnitude, violent currents swishing the soldiers off their feet.

Leaping back onto his feet, Jules ran towards his daughter and grabbed her hammer on either end of the handle, his hands gaining more grip them her own.

"This has gone far enough, Petal. Come with us and hold your place in the Heroes' Cut." He leaned close to her and added pressure in his arms. Both sides experiencing quaking muscles from their efforts.

"I won't give up on him." She said adamantly, glaring back at her father.

"Just think about what you'll be giving up." He snarled. "All those years you put into training. Ever hour you prioritised into becoming a hero." Leaning closer, he lowered his voice to avoid detection. "Are you really going to give all that up, your dream, for him?"

She looked down at their feet beneath the water, his mind coming up with a plan to break away from his grip. Having come up with an idea, she looked back at the general and grinned. "If it hadn't been for him, I would've never gotten my dream to avenge my family." She pointed out, silencing her father with facts. She chuckled lightly. "You know nothing about me at all, do you? Being a hero wasn't my only dream."

His features softened ever so slightly, surprised by her statement.

"Sonic has always been my dream. Every night I would dream of him, praying for the day I'd end up back in his arms. And now I have my dream, I'm never letting him go."

"You're making a grave mistake!" He growled at her.

Her heel impaled into his boot, causing the man to loosen his focus on his strength. His hands still against her hammer, Amy placed her weight into her arms and ran up his front, her heel once again inflicting a stabbing pain into his right eye. Howling at the affliction, Jules stumbled back, covering his wounded eye.

Amy gasped after landing back on her feet. Blinding him had not been her intention. She had no time to check his condition however as the soldiers rushed over and held up their assault rifles towards her.

"No!" Jules cried, stretching out his left hand towards his daughter.

"Amy Rose! Stand down!" McGrath ordered.

Looking round at the surrounding soldiers, she counted their numbers and came up with a method of assault. Cautiously, she got into battle stance, holding her hammer ready for her attack.

"Amy. We do not wish to fight you, but if you don't stand down, you will not hesitate!" The colonel told her, warning her of her decision.

Her stomach gripped and tightened with the overwhelming nausea. Neither side could be declared right; as good. And yet, to have the organisation that she had always known as righteous now against her, calling her an enemy, she sensed the corruption within the organisation.

Evil she had be depicted, yet she couldn't give in. She refused to leave her lover through this darkness. For him, she would become the deviant.

"Last warning, Amy. Stand down or else!"

Letting out a battle cry, the girl charged for the soldiers. Agile and overpowered, she swung her hammer to those that dared to get close.

Embedding her weapons into the ground, she performed a spinning kick to discard the guns from her nearby enemy's hands. She leapt off her hammer and engaged the soldiers in hand-to-hand combat. Though trained as they were, they fell short to her enhanced strength and speed. One by one they would fall, some only managing to inflict minor damage.

"We're getting bested by a kid?!" Sect questioned in his disbelief. Giving a determined growl, the gorilla grabbed an assault rifle and aimed at the battle-born teen. "No way I'm losing to this little girl."

"Sect! What're you doing?!" Jennings cried.

Noticing the rogue soldier, McGrath yelled out in an attempt to stop him. "Lance Corporal, Sect! Drop your weapon!"

Looking back at the colonel and then to Sect, Jules rushed over to the colossus man. "Don't!"

The bullets shot out of the rifle in the blink of an eye. Each one proceeding one after the other in a perpetual motion. Fading from sight, they propelled towards their target.

But none could penetrate the flesh.

"What the- ?"

Competing with speeds of her blue lover, the pink hedgehog appeared behind the gorilla and climbed up his back. The rifle in his hand was slammed into his face, lowering his defenses. She instantly dropped the gun and flipped over to his front, wrapping her strong legs around his neck, she dropped backwards pulling him down with her.

"Nnngh..." She groaned, using all her strength to bring him down. Pushing herself through her limits, her efforts brought the man toppling over. "Nnghaaah!"

The man fell head first into the water, his head hitting the rocks beneath. Having jumped off the man before he could hit the riverbed, Amy grabbed her hammer and held it over her shoulder, staring back at the colonel with a stern expression.

Bewildered by the girl's prowess, McGrath lost himself in a mesmerised daze. To see the final form of the girl he had once supervised through training was an awe inspiring. A spectacular sight.

It was just saddening for see her greatness being used against them.

Snapping out of his daze, the colonel briefly shook his head and pointed to the pink hedgehog. "Advance!"

Rising up from the water, able bodied soldiers ran towards the pink hedgehog. Inhaling deeply, she stretched out her hammer and began to spin it in around. Her momentum building, she clasped the handle with bond hands, increasing the speed of her mallet. Pink sparks danced around the head of the mighty weapon, charging its power with every spin.

The air around her changed its course, forming a whirling pillar around the heroine. The atmosphere fell heavy to the build up of density within the air. It was unsettling. An unnatural phenomenon that forced the nearby birds out of their nests and the men and women of the military to retaliate.

"What's happening?" Holdan gasped.

"It must be one of her super powers." Jennings concluded, remaining cautious to the growing vortex around the girl.

The raging wind howled within the tornado her hammer had conjured. Battering winds pulling in the leaves, rocks and branches from the ground and trees. These little specimens of nature were sent with the tornado, towards the soldiers, adding to it's detrimental power.

"Fall back!" McGrath hollered, gathering Jules in his arms and directing the soldiers away from the incoming tornado.

Shooting out from the trees, the blue blur spin dashed onto the front of the helicopter, breaking the glass on impact. The panicking pilots, still strapped to their seats had been jittering the buckle, desperately attempting to break free. Grabbing the men individually, the hero ripped them out of their seats and hurled them towards the fleeing soldiers. A quick glimpse to ensure no other passengers were present was given before he dashed towards the side of the aircraft and spin dashed it into the whirlwind.

Standing in front of the tornado, he span back into a spin dash and built up his speed. Resembling a pin ball, he darted up the tornado, dispersing it's vigor. With the threat taken care of, the renegade grabbed the pink hedgehog and took off before the army could initiate another attack.

"Enemy has retreated, Sir." A soldier confirmed with the authorities. Nodding back at the soldier, McGrath looked at the ground, stone faced, though exasperated. Their funding shortened for another recovery mission, they were running out of options to get their heroes back.

One eye fixated on the mountainous gorilla, Jules bore his sharp teeth. Murderous and fierce. "You!" He roared, prowling towards the lance corporal. Grabbing the man by his fatigues, he brought him down to his level. "What do you think you're playin' at, huh? You trying to kill my children? HUH?!"

Disorientated from the knock to the head, Sect took a moment to gather his thoughts. "N-no, Sir!"

"Who gave you the order to shoot?!"

"I- um-"

"ANSWER ME!"

"Jules..." McGrath approached the man from behind. Placing his hand on his shoulder, he spoke softly to try and calm the general. "We will take care of this one once we can get back to HQ. Until then, we gotta head back to Eurish."

Without an outlet for his anger, Jules looked away from the colonel and the troops. He breathed erratically, his loss of control over the situation leaving him paranoid. He had to get them back. He needed his kids to complete his family.

"Track him..." He said inaudibly. Turning back to the troops, he gave the command once more. "Track him! I need to know his next location. Is Shadow still on Ringo?"

"Yes. He alongside the chaos emeralds." McGrath informed the general.

"Good. Round up the troops and head to Ringo Fife-Eight. I'm gonna need Shadow to teleport me to Sonic's location once we have a clear navigation."

"Right. But first, let's patch up that eye of yours. Don't wanna cause an infection." Said the colonel. Turning back towards the troops he commanded the soldiers to head up river towards the second helicopter.

Looking over his left shoulder to the direction his children had escaped, Jules inhaled deeply. No matter what he had to do, he would get his children back.

Free will or force, he would get them back.

* * *

The murmuring of the lapping waves soothed the most pent up hearts as they pushed gently against his legs, following the blue hero on his journey across the continents. Cold currents splashing against his warmed body, keeping him going over the strenuous trek.

It wasn't long before the gentle waves ended their voyage alongside the runaways, crawling up against the shore before falling back into itself in a timeless loop.

Placing his lover on the sand, Sonic dropped to his knees and collapsed against the delicate, velvety grains, sighing with exasperation on his landing.

Amy propped herself down beside him, removing the weighty backpack off her shoulders and taking in the glorious scenery before them. The moon had already made it's presence over Eurish, the transcending sceptical from day to night enrapturing her eyes over the boundless ocean. Sky bathed in orange and pink were soon blended with a darkening purple, to be shortly overcome by the prussian blue. The silver full moon kissed the surface of the water, the little light they had could only be taken romantically in her eyes.

She breathed in the briny air, exhaling with mild satisfaction. Satisfied by the scent, and for another minor victory.

"You did great, Sonic." Amy said, breaking the comfortable silence between them.

A tired eye opened and focused on her, a feeble smile shortly following. "Thanks." He responded, gradually rising onto his forearms, he turned his head towards her. "Though I should be giving you the glory. You were amazing back there."

Giggling bashfully, she placed her head against her knees and smiled back at him in a coy fashion. "Really?" She enquired, longing to hear his praise.

"Oh yeah! Watching you from the trees, I was impressed! The way you took down that colossal guy? Damn. Now that is a victory on it's own." He looked ahead at the shimmering silver beach sparkling under the moonlight. "Sorry I couldn't help as much."

"I needed you to cross the ocean. No way could I ever stand on the surface for even a second. Besides, I had to show you how capable I am." She grinned.

"I never doubted you for a second. Watching you out there was... something else." Turning his sights back to the pink hedgehog, he gave her a sentimental smile. "Your family would've been proud."

Heart warmed by his sweet words, Amy returned his smile and fiddled with her necklace between her fingers. Her beloved's eyes moved down from her eyes and onto the jewel reflecting the moon's rays. He lifted his upper body onto his elbows, his smile growing at the glow of the ring.

"Can I...?" He started, trailing off in the process. Getting onto his knees, he reached behind her neck and unclipped the necklace. He felt her jump in surprise to his removal of her prized possession, then immediately settle in her trust. Moving back, he removed the chain from the ring and held up her left hand. "You know when I placed the ring on the chain, it was because you hadn't grown into it, right?"

"I know that."

"Think it's clear to say you've grown into it now. Not just physically, but in spirit too. You've proven to the whole world just how strong you are. You deserve to wear it with pride on your hand."

The warmth of her heart increased to blazing levels; soaring in its ignition. Quickened her natural rhythm became under his touch. Familiar as it was, the tingling sensation poured through her, as though it was the first time.

Heat escaping onto her cheeks, she watched as he moved the ring onto her finger. "There." Sonic beamed. "Looks good on ya."

She fiddled with the ring against her finger, her smile growing at the small detail of which finger he had placed it on. "You know that's my ring finger, right? If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were dropping hints." She grinned.

The blue boy gazed at the ring on her finger, reminiscing over the fine jewelry he had once placed around her neck. Her symbolism for strength held a lot of meaning for both of them; their own personal strengths, the strength they had together and the connection that kept them as one over the years. It was the ideal ring to emphasise who they were.

And as the spiritually stronger one, it was only right she carried it on their behalf.

"And what if I was?" He grinned through his sheepish blushing.

Her body solidified, shock causing her to freeze. Through her motionless astonishment, she slowly turned to her boyfriend. "Sonic?" She gasped.

"Yeah, I know." He quickly added. "We're way too young and by law, we can't make anything official. But that doesn't mean it can't be official to us, right?" He looked down at the ring once more as he took both of her hands in his. "I promise, one day, after all of this, we'll be together officially. No more hiding and keeping things secret. I don't care what anyone says, not anymore." He said, looking back into her eyes. "I choose to be happy, with you."

"Sonic." She breathed, her emotions seeping into her voice. An elated smile shined through the cascading tears that fell onto the sand below. She rubbed her thumbs over his hands, shuffling closer to him in her giddy jubilance. "I want nothing more than to be with you, and I'll do anything to stay by your side. I promise you, whatever comes our way, we'll face it together. You won't be alone through this."

Her lips settled a touch. A more sincere, empathetic smile. Focused on him, her eyes dazzled with hope. A signal, possibly, reaching deep into his troubled heart. There was hidden knowledge portrayed in her gaze. Something she knew, yet daren't say.

He ended her weakening gaze with the capture of her lips, the warmth he retrieved from the affection melted away his vulnerability with ease. His lover eagerly returned the sentiment, instilling her dedication and assurance he craved yet would never request verbally.

Rising onto her knees, her hands moved up his arms and onto either side of his face. Cold to the touch with the promise of warming. His arms fell to their usual destination around her waist. He clinged to her dearly, a glimmer of vulnerability finding it's way through. He brought her upper body towards him in an act of gathering as much comfort from her as he could.

His comfort level discreetly satisfied, the teen gradually pulled away from his lover and rested his head against her chest. "Love you." He said contently.

"I love you too." Amy spoke softly, running her hands down his quills and placing a sweet kiss on the top of his head. Resting her head against his, the girl turned her head to the ocean. The reflecting light drawing her attention upward towards the moon. It's alignment warning her how late it was. Ah, Manic. She had forgotten about their meet up at their uncle's mechanical workshop. "We'd better get to Uncle Chuck's."

A loud, exasperated groan came from the blue hedgehog beneath her. He humourously shook his head against her chest, bringing her to fall back onto her knees in a fit of giggles.

"Sonic." Amy laughed. "We have to get moving."

"I know..." He grumbled. "I just don't wanna go."

"Then... what do you want to do?" She questioned, puzzled by his reluctance to beseech the help of their brother.

As he lifted his head and grinned mischievously at her, she quickly recognised his ambitions. "No." She said adamantly, holding back her amused smile. Determined to put priority before pleasure, Amy backed away from the blue hero. To see him prowling towards her, big grinned and lustful eyed, she giggled bashfully and grabbed the backpack. "Stop it."

"C'mon." He endeavoured to coax her.

"No." She laughed, slinging the bag over her shoulders as she got up.

The sand crunched under the weight of his foot as he slowly got up from the ground. Holding the impish grin, he teased her with gradual steps edging towards her.

"Sonic..." Amy warned him. No matter her protest, her lips betrayed her with an uncontrollable smirk. "Don't."

Defying her words of warning, Sonic's legs began to power up. She squealed at the sight and took off down the beach, laughing hysterically to the predetermined capture she would find herself in shortly.

In a flash, he dashed off after her, providing her with a courteous lead before he shortened the distance between them and pulled the laughing girl into his arms.

Sufficing with another salacious kiss.

* * *

**BAM, BAM, BAM!**

Three sets of consecutive poundings against the metal shutters echoed through the garage and alerted their family of their presence.

Arousing from his deep sleep, the uncle of the two runaways slowly sat up from the black leather sofa in the quaint office area of his workspace. His nephew, reclined in the office chair, sat up and looked towards the shutter doors, eyes sluggish in their opening.

Chuck peered down at his watch. "Eleven. Well, better late than never, I guess."

"Considering they were travelling from Northamer, I think we can give 'em a pass at their timing." Manic said, walking passed the still dazed man and towards the main entrance.

"Northamer, huh?" Chuck muttered to himself. He leapt up from his perch and hurried over to greet the children.

Hitting the shutter button, Manic watched as they slowly rose up, revealing the two hedgehogs on the other side from shoe, to quills.

"Sonic, Amy!" Chuck cheered. He pulled the pair into a smothering hug. "It's good to see you both again!"

"Good to see you too, Uncle Chuck." Sonic wheezed upon being set free.

"We're sorry to get here so late." Amy said.

Chuck wavered his hand back at them. "Never you mind. You two've got bigger problems than bad timing. But thanks to Manic's genius, I think you might have one less thing to worry about." He said, gesturing to the green teen.

Sheepish in his deliverance, Manic simpered back at his siblings. "It's not a permanent solution. The resources for that are at HQ and we're not any safer from captivation than you are right now." He pulled out the bracelet from his pocket and held it out for his brother. "Here. This electron accelerator should switch off the microchip for some time. It'll alert you when it's recharging."

Sonic took the device out of his brother's hand and placed it on his right wrist. The overwhelming surge of furious volts channeled up his arm and rippled through his form.

"Sonic!" Amy gasped, witnessing the boy grunting uncomfortably to the power charge.

The electricity charged into the microchip and overcharged it's power, bringing it to overdrive and fizzle out. The energy fading, the hero dropped to the floor and panted heavily.

"Manic! You said it would only hurt a little!" Chuck frowned at the boy.

"I also said I didn't have time to test it out. Besides, he wasn't gonna put it on if I told him it was gonna hurt a lot." Turning back to the blue hedgehog, he held out his hand for him to take. "Sorry, Sonic."

"Don't be." Sonic assured him, taking his hand and getting up from the floor. "Without you, I'd still have Dad- no, the general, on our case. For the time being, we can recover."

Chuck spat at the thought of the man he called a brother. Stepping forward, he placed a hand on Sonic's shoulder and expressed his sorrow. "I am sorry for everything you went through. If I had known, I would've stopped him." He sighed. "It seems history winds up repeating itself."

"Huh?" Sonic raised his eyebrow.

Holding a woeful gaze at the young boy, Chuck shortly sighed. "I'll fill you in when you're back at mine. We gotta get you both washed and fed first. I bet you could use a nap or two."

Dropping his curiosity for the time being, Sonic relaxed his features and nodded back at his uncle. "Yeah, you bet."

Locking the garage for the night, Chuck guided the teenagers to his car. With Manic in the passenger seats, Sonic and Amy took refuge in the back.

Hopping into the driver's seat, Chuck looked back at the two hedgehogs in the rear view mirror. The sight of their admiring smiles at one another leaving him baffled. It had taken a breather and a shot of brandy to be informed what had been happening to his brother's family. From abuse, substance abuse, incest and military intervention, he found himself in a state of disbelief.

Even now, with the dispersion of his brother's family and the appearance of the pair of renegades, he had been in certain denial over the whole thing. But that stare. So loving yet ill placed in his eyes, he was forced to face the reality.

"Chuck?" Sonic called to his uncle. "Uncle Chuck?"

"Wha-?" The man spluttered, waking up from his gawping. "Oh, right. We'd better be off then." He chuckled, his light laughter fading as he placed the key into the ignition. The curiosity getting the better of him, he boldly asked the sensitive questions. "So, uh, you two been together for some time then?"

Already feeling the atmosphere fall into a dead end of unease, Manic whistled and turned his attention to world outside.

"Um..." Amy turned to the blue boy beside her for his input. Blushing deeply, Sonic could only look back at her with equal cluelessness for answers. "I-I guess, theoretically speaking..."

"Ah, right..." He paused, contemplating his wording. "And, uh, this is just both of you... involved right?" Another awkward pause engulfed the vehicle. "Like, I dunno. You and Sonia aren't into this too, are ya?" He questioned his nephew beside him.

Narrowing his eyes back at his uncle, Manic glowered. "No! What the fuck do you think we're into?!"

"Hey!" Chuck raised his finger at the boy. "Remember who you're talking to."

Breathing away his temper, Manic bowed his head to his elder. "Sorry, Chuck..." He apologised. "But to answer your question, it's just between them."

"Okay..."

The humming of the engine was the moderator between the muted parties. All players retracting to all corners, weighted by the heavy, unpleasant atmosphere.

Finally reversing from the park position, Chuck drove the trio back to his home.

He took another glance into the mirror, his curious mind still concocting questions. "... So do you both still have the same Mum and Dad?"

"Yeah..." Sonic answered, keeping his head aimed at the view.

"And Manic and Sonia are still both of your siblings?"

"Yeah."

"Okay..." He nodded. "Heh, well then, I guess meeting the in laws is a lot easier then?" He laughed. "Like, 'Hey Mum and Dad, you know Amy, don't ya?' or 'Mum, Dad, meet Sonic. My boyfriend and your son.'"

Having attempted to stifle his laughter, Manic belted out his hysteria.

"What?" Chuck laughed. "It's true, ain't it? You two just cut out the middle ground there. And what with you not being blood related, you don't have to worry 'bout a possible kid missing an arm or an eye or whatever. It's a win-win!"

Unable to keep his poise, Manic slouched down his seat, holding his aching stomach through his uncontrollable laughter.

"You got a point there, Chuck..." Sonic told the man, hoping his approval of Chuck's reassurance would end the conversation. Too embarrassed to look back at the males in front, he continued to look out the window. Nevertheless, he stretched his hand out across the middle seat for his lover to hold.

Desperately, she clasped his hand. She was mortified to say the least. Not by the man's attempts of playing off the awkwardness, but by his talk of potential children. Reminded of her dread, she placed her left hand against her abdomen, swallowing back the sudden occurrence of nausea.

* * *

The front door squeaked ever so gently to its opening, allowing the hedgehog family into the modest lodgings of their uncle.

Sturdy oak beams, broad and rich in hue panelled the ceiling above their heads. Aged and rustic edged, a forever memory of the blue hedgehog that had fitted them to make his home.

They still remained the most distractive decoration. Simplistic in taste, the walls ran bare with only a few pictures of his nieces and nephews, reminiscent pictures of himself through the ages, and his close friends scattered wherever he saw fit. The only competition against the beams was the fireplace. A grand open fireplace, fed by the basket of lumber nearby. The brick layout stretched either side of the wall. Untouched by paint, unmarked by decorative hangings.

It had always been the opposite to their father's idea of home. With very little use for vanity and smart technology, it was a minimalist's ideal. It was exposing without the need of a cover up. Neither lacking or over done; straight to the point.

_Click._

Met with the abrupt flash of light, the four hedgehogs looked away until their eyes had a moment to adjust. Looking back, they witnessed Aleena and Sonia entering the hall from the living room.

"Oh." Aleena cried, elated to see her children. "Babies!" She cheered, rushing to her son and daughter and kissing them consistently on their foreheads before bringing them into a tight hug. "Oh my sweethearts! I've been worried sick!"

"Hey, Mum." Sonic smiled at her affectionate ways.

As they were released by their mother, they were both pulled back into another hug by their sister. Her crushing strength being a comforting, yet teasingly spiteful gesture. She broke away from them, snickering at their unappreciated frowns.

"Are you both okay? Have you been eating properly? Slept okay? You're looking awfully pale, Sonic."

"Mum, calm it. We're okay. Just a little tired is all." Sonic answered her.

"Sorry, Dear. You know, as your mother, I will never stop worrying about you." She smiled. "But you're right. You need this time to recuperate." She pointed upstairs, towards the spare room. "There's fresh clothes laid out for you upstairs. I would recommend a nice shower, _each,_ and then you can have the food I made for you earlier."

"Thanks, Mum." Amy responded.

"Just doing the basic for you, Dear." Aleena smiled back at her daughter.

Nodding at the purple hedgehog, the pair left the three downstairs and headed to the spare bedroom.

Leaning back towards Sonia, Aleena whispered to her softly. "Make sure they don't share a shower."

"Not like they haven't seen it all before..." She muttered on her way up the stairs.

o - o - o - o - o - o

Rejuvenated by warm showers and fresh clothing, the duo sat around the coffee table with their plates of fajitas and hungrily feasted. While filling their empty stomachs, Sonic looked around at his family, becoming slightly uncomfortable with their quiet stares.

"Aren't you guys gonna sleep? It's pretty late now." He reminded them.

"We'll have time to sleep. We just want to be around before you have to take off again." His mother told him.

"Yeah, and with the military harassing us, we can't really afford to be lounging for too long." Sonia added.

"Sonia!" Aleena scolded her daughter.

"What?" The teen shrugged back at her. "There's no use hiding the fact." She looked back to her siblings and informed them of the ordeal with HQ. "They've been trying to get information outta us about your whereabouts. We were fortunate, under Dad's orders, we weren't heavily interrogated. We didn't have anything for them so they let us go. Doesn't stop them from constantly harassing us though."

Appalled by the news, Sonic looked down at the cream coloured rug beneath him, face souring at the burden he had caused his family. "I'm sorry I put you in this situation..."

"Don't apologise for what that man has done." Aleena firmly told her boy. "He was the one that caused all of this heartache." She sighed, looking down at her former ring hand, how naked it was without her engagement and wedding rings. "He's been nothing but a ticking time bomb, just waiting to explode."

Her description of their father intrigued his mind as it had hours prior. This talk about the history of rage within their family. What was it's origin? "About the whole 'History repeating itself' thing earlier, what did you mean by that?" Sonic questioned his uncle.

He grimaced at the question, his gaze turning to his sister in law to see the same pain on her face. Woeful, he looked back to his nephew, becoming reserved and stone faced towards the subject. "As you can imagine by the saying, this isn't the first time we've dealt with this kinda situation. You'd think we'd be better at preventing it, eh?" He smiled meekly at his endeavour to make the topic as easy as possible.

The man rose from the sofa and headed to his bookcase storing but a few books and a box on the bottom shelf. "I gathered a few of these photographs before we moved here. Jules never knew I had 'em and that was probably for the best." He said while venturing back to his seat. Propping the box on the coffee table, he lifted the lid and placed the photographs in the available space.

Leaning over, Sonic and Amy examined the memories of old. Pictures of hedgehogs they couldn't recall and others, they easily identified. "Before we moved to Eurish, we were born and raised in Northamer. In a place called Westopolis." He handed a picture to his nephew. The family of four stood close together, emotionless faces, irregular body language. "These are your grandparents; your granddad, Frederick. And your grandma, Bernadette."

Sonic focused on his grandparents, notifying the similarities he shared with his grandfather. The green fur his brother had inherited seemed to come from his grandmother. As a couple, they were... off. Miserable and loveless.

Eyes wondering down to the children, he recognised the elder boy as his uncle. The other ultimately having to be his father. His childhood appearance mirrored the young boy in the photograph. A replica in his father's image. "Huh. We look so similar..." Sonic thought aloud.

"Like looking in the mirror." Aleena smiled fondly. "When you were placed in your dad's arms for the first time, he couldn't get over how identical you were to him. He'd call you his little twin." She smiled fondly at the memory before looking down at her lap. Oh had times changed.

Sonic copied his mother's actions. Her sweet reminiscence only leaving a bitter taste. At one point in his life, his father had truly loved him unconditionally. After bringing him shame, he was given nothing but brutality and detestation.

Handing the picture over to the pink hedgehog opposite him, he picked up a photograph of his grandfather. A portrait of the military man in his uniform. Strong and imposing his stoic expression gave off.

"Your grandad was an officer in the Air Fleet. The strict discipline he was taught in the army was often displayed in his parenting. You can probably guess where your dad got it from." Their uncle looked around at the teenagers with a small grin. "Well, anyway, he and your grandmother were miserable together. Always fighting, screaming, a generally hostile environment whenever they were in the same house. If anything, they stayed together for Jules and I... Can't say they were doing either of us a favour."

"They stayed together the whole time?" Amy questioned.

Chuck shook his head back at the young girl. "Your grandmother found comfort in her lovers and to cope with her infidelity, your grandad would drink. Unfortunately, the drink made him violent, and he wouldn't hesitate to attack any one of us if the mood took him."

"Sounds like a concoction for a messed up family..." Manic commented.

"You got that right." Chuck agreed. Leaning back against the sofa, he gathered the repressed memories of his childhood, of that last day he saw his mother. "One night, Frederick found out about the affair between his wife and her lover, Warren. He yelled so loud, it woke us out of our beds. All that smashing around and screams from our mother were hardly the best ambiance for great sleep... Turned out she was pregnant with our half brother. Half hedgehog, half wolf. Your grandad wasn't much for cross breeding. You know, old fashioned and all that. So being the collected, sensible man he was... He had the most rational reaction..."

Catching onto his uncle's sarcasm, Manic answered for him. "Termination?"

"I guess you could call it that. Don't think his technique would be backed by health professionals..." Chuck grimaced, the memory stabbing him through his weighted chest. "Before he could do that, your dad jumped in the way. I tried to get him out of the situation but he was pulled into the kitchen and..." He sighed. "He was only seven... So fragile. So broken."

The teens gawped in horror. A little backstory to their dad's unspoken past had install minor empathy for the general. Though inexcusable, he was another victim to his environment.

"Didn't child services step in?!" Sonia exclaimed. "Like a kid gets beaten severely by his father and no one in the professional services does anything?!"

"What can I say?" Chuck shrugged. "Once Jules was taken to hospital, Bernadette packed her bags and left. Dad blamed her for the incident and they believed him. The case was later dropped when they couldn't find her. We were failed by child services as much as we were by our parents."

"What happened after he recovered?" Sonic asked.

"Frederick lost his job due to his alcohol abuse, he became more violent, more verbally abusive and let us struggle in the squalor of a home. The only thing that kept your dad going through it all was your mother."

The teens turned to their mother, expecting her to give her side of the story. "I used to live in the same neighbourhood as your father. Was one of the few children that would play with him since he was so distant to everyone... Understandably so. I remember there would be multiple occasions where that drunkard would come outside the house, onto the doorstep and scream abuse at your dad. Accused him of being feminine for playing with me and the other girls, allowing us to paint his nails and brushing the dirt out of his quills. Such a vile man."

"And none of the neighbours thought to report the man for his abuse and his neglect?" Amy frowned at the ridiculousness of the adults in her father's history.

Aleena wore a gloomy look. "Everyone was afraid of him. To them, it was easier to turn their heads away from the horror than to face him."

"How'd you all get away from him?" Sonia leaned towards her mother, inquisitive.

"After being friends for so long, your father and I fell in love. We started dating at fourteen and were quite inseparable. Your grandfather grew jealous of the relationship, tried to keep us apart. Not that it worked of course... Then, um, one day, I was waiting for your dad in his room and... Frederick came in."

"Mum?" Sonia began to panic. She reached over and grabbed her mother's hand, squeezing it gently.

"He tried to..." She sobbed abruptly, shaking her head at the memory. "I was so scared, I couldn't even move. I could just feel his disgusting hands on me, that repugnant stench of alcohol breathing against my neck... I- I really thought he was gonna..."

"Disgusting..." Manic growled.

"He didn't actually... You know, did he?" Amy stared sympathetically towards her mother.

Again, Aleena shook her head. "No. Your dad stopped him before he could... But in doing so, it came with fatal consequence."

Chuck took over the story. "Your dad, he... snapped. He saw red, wanted blood. He mutilated him. By the time I got back and witnessed what happened, the damage was done."

"He killed him?" Sonia gasped.

"No. Miraculously, that bastard survived the attack. Just barely. According to gossip, he lost his ability to walk, but we didn't hang around to find that out in person."

"So we came to Eurish to start over. Got jobs, built a home, and had four wonderful children..." Aleena smiled at her children. The smile soon fading. "But that pain your father carried never went away. He wanted nothing more than to have the perfect family, an ideal version unlike the one he had as a child... Because of that anger within him, he only repeated the life he hated."

It was just as his uncle had told them. History repeated and ever growing. Just how many times could it be repeated? Like the blue hedgehog, his father had dreamed of a life more ideal than the one he had lead. A carrier of the family taint, he passed the same pain onto him.

What was to say he wouldn't perform the same actions against his own children in the future?

Looking over to the pink hedgehog ahead of him, the fear arose within his heart, suffocating him from the second's narrowing of his veins wringing with brutal anxiety. If he had in fact impregnated her, there was a chance that history would repeat itself.

He had the notion to become just like his father and his father before him.

Yawning loudly, Chuck stood up from the sofa and stretched his limbs. "That was a nice bedtime story, but I'm beat. The boys can sleep on the couches and you girls can squeeze in the spare room."

"Uh... Thanks, Uncle Chuck." Sonic got up from the floor. "But we'd better head out. I wouldn't want this thing to go off in the house and bring the military over here." He said, flashing the device to the elder hedgehog.

"Ah, that's right. Very thoughtful of ya. Well, I dunno when I'll see you two again. But until then, look after yourselves." The man pulled the runaway pair in for individual hugs.

Lightly patting his back, Sonic nodded back at the man as they parted. He was quickly brought into another crushing embrace by his mother.

"Look after eachother." She told both her children.

"Will do..." Sonic wheezed.

Having given her sister a hug, Sonia approached the blue hedgehog alongside Manic. "We've gathered some of the heroes and will be meeting with them tomorrow at 7:00pm, at the abandoned apartments on Illbrook Street, in the city. Number 8B. If you can make it, we can discuss how to fight back."

"You wanna fight back?" Sonic questioned, lowering his head towards his siblings with uncertainty.

"Of course! You two are family. Family's always there for eachother." His sister said, slapping his shoulder harshly. "Be good out there."

"And be careful." Manic added.

"You know it!" Amy said, giving a confident head nod.

Slinging the backpack around her shoulders, the pink and blue hedgehog waved to their family before taking off into the night. Settled into his arms, Amy placed her hand over her heart, the pitfall pang slamming against her chest filling her with dread. These emotions were not organic. Not her own. Though empowered with heavy emotion, they were second handed, unintentionally burdened onto her by her beloved.

She could feel the turmoil resonating from him. How he quickened his already exhilarating feet. the way he ignored the compression within his ribcage and powered through with breathless grunts. He was pained. Agonised with new trauma colliding with the already existent.

Her words blocked out by his booming speed, she showed her consolation by gently caressing his chest, hoping to ease his tension.

He kept his eyes on the path, avoiding any potential obstacle in their way. Though she could not see it, his eyes softened as his lips curved into a courageous smile.

For a moment, he was calmed.

* * *

The compassion bestowed by his cherished lover had lost it's ability to lessen his aching heart. After crashing in the caves situated in the country landscapes of Avalon, the neighbouring country to Central City, the duo fell into a deep slumber, recovering their lack of sleep with fourteen hours hibernation.

Yet his sleep had not been without struggle. His dreams were bounteous with darkness. Trauma gorged and unrelenting. No matter how he tossed and turned, his dreams would not cease.

His imagination ran wild, rendering fantasised flashbacks of what his father must have experienced as a child. The rugged man from the photographs towering over a small boy as a monumental, colossal figure, his mighty fists raining down on the child with lethal vigor. Over and over, callous and cold.

Then the image of the boy changed to resemble his child self, knocked back against the grey carpet of his father's office. Through blurred vision, he saw another swing of the wrist heading towards him before the impact brought perpetual darkness.

**Beeeeep. Beeeeep. Beeeeep.**

The alarm to his device went unvalued, his mind still processing his vivid dreams. While sound had failed to bring him out of his sleep, the dazzling light emitted through the cave had forced him upward.

Chaos control. The gleaming light contributing to teleportation.

They had been caught.

"Aaagh!" His dad sounded a battle cry as he charged towards the blue hedgehog.

Shooting up from her resting position, the pink hedgehog readied herself for the man's approach before flinging the thermal blanket over him. His vision momentarily compromised, Sonic jumped up from the cold ground and spin dashed into him, knocking him back to the ground.

Ripping the blanket off his body, Jules growled furiously, his one eye narrowing at his children as they got into battle stance, ready for him to attack. His desperation to get his children back plagued him, consumed him. Having convinced himself that he only had to reunite his family to overcome the grief he had caused, he desired nothing more than to have them back under his supervision.

They held his happiness and he was determined to reclaim it.

"How long do you attempt to keep this game up?!" He yelled, his voice echoing through the cave. "I have a whole army to do my bidding, I can track your every move. There is no escape!"

"And we have will! The will to keep going!" Amy declared, holding up her mighty mallet. "Give us what you got! We'll take on whatever you can serve."

"Tsk..." Jules huffed. "You went so many years without a father figure, Little Petal. And it really shows."

"Yeah you're right... Though even with you around, you still failed to show Sonic what a true father is." She reciprocated.

Her father leered back at her through the grim dark. His parenting targeted, he found himself wounded by her words. "Perhaps one day you will understand the encumbrance of raising your own. For now, you'll be taught to respect your parents!"

He bolted towards the hedgehogs, His left eye being set on the blue boy ahead. His bandaged eye leaving him at a disadvantage, he was forced to remain tactical. As much as his anxious self would allow.

Experienced muscles tightened and eased with every blow he would serve. To his son, he was offense. For his daughter, he would be on defense. Every with punch swung at the blue teen, it was counteracted with his quick reflexes. Determined to keep his father's injury to a minimal, Sonic deflected his attacks; knocking him back to the ground or forcing him backwards.

Cutting between the two blue hedgehogs, Amy forced hammer upward into her her father's jaw, forcing him to recoil from the weapon.

"Argh." He grunted, from both the pain and his lack of patience he had for his child. Rubbing the inflicted area, he looked back at the pink girl and scowled. "I'm growing tired of your rebelliousness. Maybe you deserve to be disciplined too!" He growled. Rushing forward, his hand swung for his daughter, striking a forceful slap to her face. The strength of his swing resulted in an echoing whack. With a yelp, she fell to the rocky surface.

"Ah-!" Sonic gasped, reaching out for the fallen female. "Amy!"

Distracted from his father's wrath, he was defenceless to the formidable man. He was pulled up from the material around his neck, his feet inches off the ground.

"Enough of this defiance, this disobedience. You are going to come back to Headquarters and stop acting like a spoilt, belligerent child!"

"I'm not yours to control!" Sonic spat back at him.

"YES YOU ARE!" Yelled his father, shaking the boy violently from the bandana. "You have always been mine and you won't stop being mine! Not now, not ever! D'ya know why? Huh?" He snarled. "Because I am always in your head. In your thoughts, dreams and memories. Continue to run away, I'll always find you. Try and cover your tracks and I'll be one step ahead. There is no escape from me!"

His son endeavoured with every bit of willpower to appear unaffected by his words. He stared down at him, his eyes dancing wildly with his deteriorating emotions ready to seep through. Angered, discomposed and in fear of strong belief to his oration.

Inhaling, his emotions were pushed back behind his poise. The flickering exposure in his eyes fading abruptly to show his glowering scorn. "Who are you talking to? Me, your son, or yourself?" He held his gaze at the man before him, watching as his victorious, irked expression lowered into an unexpectedly perplexed look. "I know about your past. Your obsession for perfection. If your dad didn't have such a hold on you, maybe you'd still have everthi-"

"You know nothing about it!" The general growled. "You have no idea what that man was like!"

"Don't I? You seem to be pretty good at impersonating him."

"I AM NOTHING LIKE HIM!" Jules barked. "I AM NOT LIKE HIM!"

"YES YOU ARE!" Sonic screamed back at him. His chest heaving with anxiety. Seeing his words getting to the man, it encouraged him to go on. "It's like you said. 'Always in your head'. How long has he been in yours?"

"AAAARRRGH!" Jules roared, throwing the boy across the cave. The pebbled stones residing on the grey floor tore at his quills, ripping them from the skin and leaving long gashes against his back. "You really think you can get to me with your misinformed tactics?!"

"Heh..." Sonic sneered, carefully sitting up. "I dunno. You look a little tense. Then again, you've always been a little too uptight so I guess it's hard to tell."

Jules chuckled maliciously. "You've certainly become cocky in past two weeks. It's clear to see this 'relationship' has had a bad influence over you."

"What?" Amy glared. "Bad influence? We have been living like feral ever since you started this chase. Even when we've been starved, exhausted and freezing, he's been the happiest he has been in years! We both have! When are you going to see that we are happy together?!"

"And when are _you_ going to realise that your happiness derives from degradation and corruption?! You cannot love your brother!"

"He's not my brother!"

"I AM YOUR FATHER SO THAT MAKES HIM YOUR BROTHER!"

"I DISOWN YOU AS MY DAD!" She roared. "You told me you promised my father that you'd allow me to grow up happy, prosperous. You have done nothing to make me happy, to help my succession!"

"I gave you a home. A family!"

"You shunned my cousin, knowing who he was, just so you could fulfill your own selfish plans."

"My selfish plans were to keep both of your reputations intact!"

"My reputation? The one you tried to keep at a minimum, just so I wouldn't be on Sonic's team?"

Jules threw his hands up, exasperated with the back and forth talk. "What was I supposed to do? Allow you to go on expeditions with him, knowing something was happening between you two?" He cautiously stepped towards her, smiling to her humbly. "I've wanted nothing more than to protect you. Even now, I'm protecting you and Sonic and this... relationship from McGrath and the higher ups, just to keep your careers." He held out his hand towards her. "I know I've done some terrible things, but if you both just come back... We can solve this. All of it."

Sliding her hammer back against the ground, Amy stared back at the general, wary and sceptical. She acknowledged the sacrifices he had made to accept her into his family. The burden her development had once cost her parents. But that had been a different time, a different man. This man was a fraud; a liar and manipulator. She couldn't turn away from what he had said to his son regarding his freedom only moments before. Though more gentle and calm, this had to be apart of his manipulation.

Slinging the weapon back into her hands, she gave him her answer. "No."

The general's lips heavily drooped, his eyes darkening to his failed persuasion. With a sigh, he looked back over his shoulder before looking back at his children. "I'm sorry it had to be this way. I don't wish to fight you. To prevent that, I brought a little help."

Whistling his signal, a golden streak flashed into the cave. The illuminated body hovered above them, aggressive faced and balled fists. The agent presented himself in majestic glory; divinity bathed, golden, shimmering fur and fierce ruby eyes. Greatly imposing and just as staggeringly dangerous.

"Shadow." Sonic growled.

"Agent Shadow to you. Moulded to be Mobius' greatest creation. The first man to experience the power of Chaos and the first perfected lifeform." Jules said proudly.

"The first?" Amy stepped back. "Buh- but the first user was known as a failed attempt." She shook her head in disbelief. "That can't be right! When Manic and I researched the Chaos Energy files, it said the experiment drove the user insane!"

"That was _before_ they learnt that chaos energy reacts to emotions." Jules said. "Take away the emotions and replace them with a sense of purpose and duty, and you have the ultimate war weapon."

Looking at the super form of her former trainer, Amy looked back at her dad, aiming her leer back at him. "That's disgusting. You turned a life into nothing!"

" **I** did no such thing. I had no involvement in his creation. But I do admire his dedication. His loyalty to obligation."

"He didn't have a choice." Sonic growled.

Jules shrugged indifferently. "Yes, well, sometimes life isn't fair like that. I lost my family in my efforts to stop my children's incestuous ways, and you'll be defeated by the ultimate lifeform and forced back into your roles; to be monitored at all times. Oh well... Over to you, Agent Shadow."

Generating a chaos spear in his hands, the powerful hedgehog fired the attack at the couple. The pair jumped away, looking back after their landing to see the damage. A crater was established in the impact; deep, blackened depression with clean edges. A detrimental effect on it's target.

Shadow turned his head to the blue hedgehog, scanning his every movement and taking off in pursuit. The teen looked back at him over his shoulder, opting to speed up to deter him away.

The agent looked up at the ragged, uneven roof of the cave, the rocks just a rumble away from falling. Forming another chaos spear, he forced it upward into the rocks. The trembling quake shook the crevice, the various rocks fell from above, clashing against the ground.

"Amy!" Sonic called out to his girlfriend, witnessing her running back from the collision. He ran up against the wall and darted across the centre, pushing the pink hedgehog out of the way and taking the assault on her behalf. One by one they hindered his movements until he was swallowed by the pressure.

She covered her eyes from the debris, looking back to the rock slide when she heard the harrowing silence. They piled high over the blue hero, his white glove just visible against the ground. "No! Sonic!"

Before she could run to his aid, she was forced against the wall by the gold furred hedgehog, his arm pinning her back onto the cold, damp stone. "It's over, Amy." He told her.

"Shadow, please. Can't you see they're just using you?"

"Irrelevant. I'm here on a mission and I intend to see it through."

Horrified by the agents cold response, she pleaded with his better nature. "Don't you remember all the training we went through together? Our talks about everything and nothing?"

"What?" He raised an eyebrow at her.

"You- you do remember, don't you?"

Her words formed a key to the lock on his memories, suppressed by the lab rats of the military. A train of flashbacks seeping into his conscious mind before he could make sense of each one. From the intensive training of the young girl, to their one-on-one talks within the Bethalegion forest. Hearing the hope and determination in her voice, the beauty of life reflected in her eyes.

Then it all faded to dusk. Upon being questioned of his relationship with the impressionable teen, he was unable to provide an admissable answer. His entire mind still questionable to even himself, he could not understand what he had been feeling, the meaning behind his emotions.

And to conform, he was strapped back to his chair and the unexplainable emotions were sizzled out. Leaving nothing but a shell of a man.

He stepped back, heavily breathing and shaken. His fur subsequently fading to black, he ran his finger through the dark hair on his head, horror-struck. "Wh-what?" He gasped.

"Shadow?" Amy cautiously removed herself from the wall. Her old friend appeared in a state of shock, transfixed and nonplussed.

Her concerns for him had to be kept at a minimal. Turning to her lover, she quickly gave one last glance to the black hedgehog, expressing her sympathy through her sorrowed features. "I'm sorry."

She dashed to Sonic's side and pushed the rocks away from him. The jagged pieces bore at the protective fabric of her gloves, splicing through the material and layers of skin. Her determination powering her through the pain.

Coughing violently, Sonic carefully rose up from the ground, taking the help his lover offered to help him sit up with gratitude. "You alright?" He asked through his coughing.

"Wha- me?! You were just crushed by rocks and debris!" She said, astounded by his concern aimed at her rather than himself.

"Yeah..." He started, looking over to the disorientated hedgehog a few metres in front of them. "But a few rocks don't quite measure up to the Ultimate Lifeform." Focusing on the agent's behaviour, he was perplexed by what he saw. "What's happening to him?"

"I dunno. I think he was under some kinda mind control. Now he's awoken from it, he doesn't know what to make of it all." She looked over at the hedgehog, still greatly sympathetic.

"If he's having a crisis, then it's the perfect time to get outta here."

"I-" She stuttered, her lip quivering at her hesitation. Her eyes drifted back to her friend and trainer, hopeless in her ability to save him.

He followed her gaze, confused and struck with a moment's discomfort to her concerns for the agent that had tried to defeat them. "Ames, if we wanna get away from the general, we have to move now."

She brought her gaze back to him, shortly complying to his assertion. "Of course. But what about the stuff?"

"It's lost. Forget about it." He told her, gathering her in his arms.

"Can you still run?" She asked him, concerned.

Gradually rising to his feet, he pulled her close to secure her. "I don't have a choice."

He took off out of the cave, passing the grievous agent in a bolt of violet streaks. From the security of the near sunsetting forest, Jules jumped in horror to see his children fleeing the scene still intact, still defiant.

Growling to himself, he brought his phone out of his officer's jacket and contacted the agent's communicator. "Agent Shadow, come in. This is your general. Over." He awaited for a response, ultimately getting no answer. "Shadow?" He was met with static reception. His communication falling flat. "Fuck!"

A glint of red caught his peripheral vision. His head darting back towards the light, he was aghast to see the agent take off, his destination unknown. "What the- No... No! GET BACK HERE!" He yelled out. Enraged, he slammed his fist into the bark of a nearby tree. His kids still on the run, now his best fighter had gone awol with the chaos emeralds in tow.

Throwing his head back, he unleashed his indignation into the air. "NNGHAAAAAAAH!"

* * *

The barrier between the murk of his mind and his rationality juddered. A barrier so thin, the darkness would sieve through into his poise, breaking it bit by bit.

It was an unfair, uneven fight. For years of locking away his emotions had created a dangerous adversary to counterattack. His trauma struck him, his anger riled him, the darkness; consumed him.

Until any light he held to life fizzled out.

Forceful drumming of the unapologetic downpour pelted down a glacial cold against their skin. Another burden slung onto them. As cold as the temperature was the rains consideration to their circumstances. Ruthless and dense.

Taking shelter beneath an unoccupied bus shelter on the outskirts of Central City, Amy watched the torrential rain. She breathed into the atmosphere, watching the chilled air raise up from her parted lips. Trembling violently under the conditions, she held herself, bouncing on the spot in hopes of warming herself through movement.

"We should probably consider ourselves lucky that we didn't have to swim back here." She giggled.

She received no response from her lover, not even a light chuckle to confirm his listening. Concerned of his silence, she looked down at the blue hedgehog. Sat on the edge of the pavement, head resting in his left hand, oblivious to the rain still beating against his slick fur. He stared down at his rain-washed shoes, his eyes fixated on the red shine.

"Sonic?" She stepped towards him, crouching down behind him. "What's wrong?"

At first he couldn't bring himself to speak, fearing the pain that gnawed away at his heart would project from his lips if he dared to breathe out. Mustering the ability to move his lips, they jittered violently; from the blistering cold that fell onto them, as well as his cumbersome ache.

"I... I can't." He muttered. His vocal falling victim to the plangent rain.

"What?" His lover leaned closer to him.

"I can't do this anymore!" He cried, slamming his hands against the glossy stone pavings and pushing himself onto his feet. "No matter what I do, he's gonna be there, just waiting for me to blow!" He heaved heavily, looking down at his off-white gloves. "Everything in my life has been predetermined by this family's messed up history. I'm nothing! Nothing but a puppet, following the footsteps of my dad and my grandad's actions!"

Taken back but all the while prepared for this breaking point, Amy grasped his arm, rubbing it gently and lovingly. "You're nothing like them! You're kind, courageous and have a good heart. You're the hero we all look up to, aspire to be."

"But I'm not, am I? Because that role was given to me by him! Ever since we were kids, he's been... moulding me, bending and breaking me to become the perfected version of him! Every time I didn't do something the way he wanted, I paid for it through his brutal punishments. Day after day, one punch after the other. Not once did he ever look at me as my own person, as an individual. I've just been his replacement, his little twin."

"And even still, you have fought him back in every way you could! You never gave up on me, on doing what you thought was the right thing to do. You still held who you truly were through all the trauma he gave you."

"BUT HE'S IN HERE!" He yelled at her, tapping the side of his head. With a woeful sob, the tears descended down his face, the only warmth he could feel in the winter storm. "It doesn't matter how much I fight, how much I'll try to do the right thing, with him in my head, I... I'll become like him. Like Frederick."

Her heart reverberated and shattered at the downfall of her beloved. To see him be pushed to his highest length and watch as he fell too deep into the chasm of his repressed darkness.

She gathered his hands in hers, entwining their fingers into one locked affection. "Listen to me. You are Sonic The Hedgehog. The Hero of Eurish, a beloved son of a devoted mother, a dear brother to Manic and Sonia. Most importantly, you are my everything. I am nothing without you."

Shuddering a faint breath, he shook his head in protest. "I've ruined you. Your reputation, your career. There's a chance you're carrying my baby and we all know how they're gonna turn out if I'm raising 'em."

"We don't even know if I-"

"I can't repeat this history again. I can't allow another life to be destroyed because of me."

"What are you saying?" She mused. "Sonic."

Looking up at the endless downpour, he turned his head to his girlfriend and declared his stance. "I'm done talking now."

Her eyes widened, her heart quickening with coercion to rupture. It was as she feared. No more words to say. Words; carried by the bidding of his breath. The essence he sought to rid himself of.

Done with talking. Done with breathing. Done with living.

Unwillingly swooped off of her feet, the girl screamed into the air, wailing and pleading with her lover to think before he acted. Her voice was drowned by the thunderous rain and the winds of his reckless speed. Insignificant to the contemptuous weather.

Coming to an abrupt halt outside the abandoned apartments his sister had spoken of, Sonic placed the girl on her feet. Her arms desperately flew over his shoulders, her fingers gripping tightly to his sodden fur. "Sonic, don't do this. Please, please don't leave me."

The pounding of his heart shook through the heavy emotions on his chest, restricting the ability to breathe. His chest burned along with each breath. A tiresome effort.

"I'm so sorry." He breathed out. His hand rested against her face, wiping away the droplets of rain and bountiful tears. He took a moment to capture every cherished feature she possessed, his last glimpse of her would be his most treasured memory.

Bringing their lips into an agonised joining, he spilled his love and apology into her. Firm from his desperation, tender in his plea for understanding, and enamoured with the passion he would always carry.

A series of butterfly kisses were left in the aftermath of his departure from her. Sweetness met with the saltiness of blended tears meeting at the lips. Pulling away, he placed a final kiss against her forehead, more firm than he had seconds earlier.

"I love you." He said, pulling her arms off his shoulders.

"Sonic, don't! Just wait a sec!" She pleaded. Her heart tore in two at the sight of the blue blur taking off without her. Instinctively she ran after him, but she was no match to the blue wind. "SONIC!"

Having heard the girl's cries, Sonia opened the door to the apartment and looked to her younger sister. She gawped at the powerful screams emitted from her. First filled with anger towards their brother, only to be overcome with anguish.

"Amy..."

"DON'T YOU DARE LEAVE ME!" She screamed for a final time. Defeated, she dropped to her knees, wailing a mournful cry for the lover she had lost to his trauma.


	14. Persevere

Chapter Fourteen: Persevere

The ownerless streets of the south west stood the derelict homes of old. Once a stronghold for growing families; halls blaring frolicsome cheer by it's youth, it's walls gathering the unit to one. Every room holding memory of those that dwelled. The good, the bad; all nostalgia was embedded into the foundation of each apartment, to be reminisced in days to come. Until then, they would remain unsung.

The remnants of the first attack on Central City lingered down the barren streets, stretching an abiding gloom. There was a sense of ominous dour. Memories prevailing, the communal tragedy would endure.

Time's work had left it's marking on it's surface. Stairs chipped away, dusted over in rubble and fostering aged leaves from unkempt vines climbing the walls. Woody stems clinging to the exterior gave off a displeasing image; thorny and sinister. Untouched and unloved, it clawed to the third floor, long awaiting for the consoling prunings of an experienced gardener.

Injury came to the shattered glass within window panes. In return, they held malice and resentment in threatening shards of its fragments. Those still standing were nevertheless maintained. Transparency now a miserably marital shade of brown and grey, casting an abundance of dust from a distance.

Through the creaking front door, the interior mirrored the image of it's outer form. Paint flaked from once embellished walls and unearthing the murky, brown patches of leakage. The chiselled paint blanketed the wooden floors along with stripped away wallpaper and fallen plaster, all to be covered by a coat of dust, the very same that danced in the outdoor lights' rays peaking through.

Beyond its shortcomings, it kept ahold of its beauty, in which one day, it would blossom again with a new family in its hold.

For now, it would be a discreet hideout to the heroes of Eurish.

Sounds of violent retching resounded through the empty block. From the lodgings of the second floor, the plaintive cries of the despondent hedgehog wallowed in her despair. With every chorus of harrowing wails, a verse of heaving and convulsing would ensue. Into the bowl of the toilet she would regurgitate, her already unsatisfied stomach expelling the little food she had ate and with no other choice, bringing up acidic bile. It burned away at her throat, delivering a croaky rasp to her overused vocals.

Stood behind her was her sister, leaning against the bathroom door and watch the girl's severe spewing, disturbed and distressed by her sibling's tempestuous grief. It had been the first time she had seen her so inconsolable. So discomposed. Screaming so incautiously and with such inflamed, passionate angst that the laceration of her heart could be recognised by the most unimaginative minds.

And the reason? She was apprehensive to find out. Her sister's despair and her's brother's disappearance could only mean calamity.

Moving back from the toilet, Amy panted erratically, her heart racing at speed surpassing levels above ordinary. Ashen cheeks were lined with pallid streaks of enforced tears that would burn her red, fatigued eyes and would mercilessly continue their descend. She found herself in a state of panic, her breathing forming into a more irrational hyperventilation.

Sonia flocked to her sister's aid, holding up her heavy head as the lack of oxygen in her system began to take effect. "Amy, Amy... I need you to calm down, okay? Just breathe slowly. One breath at a time. Easy... easy."

Her soothing talk gradually brought the pink hedgehog back from her frantic condition. Nevertheless, her tears carried on. More quiet, just as emotional.

"Sonic." She sobbed. "I... I need him, Sonia. I can't-" Her lips jittered violently, her voice bearing a pained squeal before she could bring herself to speak. "I can't live without him."

"Hey..." Sonia hushed her, bringing her into a tender embrace. "It'll be okay. Whatever's happening with him, we'll find him and get it sorted."

Sniffling profusely, she gripped onto the girl's dress and wrangled the fabric through her fingers. "You don't understand. He-" Her emotions rendered her ability to speak. Immobilised by her sorrow, she released her pain in another grief stricken sob. She leaned against her sister, endeavouring to voice her lover's decline. Her words however failed to sound. The truth being too grave to speak of, her cries expressed the dire situation.

"I've lost him." She wept through her unremitting tears. "I've lost him all over again."

The grip of her sister's hand tightened, an unstated need for a beacon through her bereavement that engulfed her. It made her feel hopeless, unable to cure her woeful sibling's agony. There was also a prolonging pang of anxiety. Had her brother deserted the young girl or was there something more to this she was yet to find out?

She concluded that her questions and concerns would have to wait until she brought her sister to the resistance. "Manic'll come up with something. He always does." She assured her. Steadily, she gathered the pink hedgehog in her arms and lifted her off the floor. "Come on, we can figure out the next steps with the rest of the team."

The mighty hedgehog carried the fragile girl out of the bathroom and through the dingy halls of the rundown apartment. With her incapability of using her hands to open the door, she placed little force into her foot to kick the living room door open. Her miscalculation of force had knocked the door off his hinges with ease. The wooden slab slammed heavily against the floor, springing the settled dust into the air.

"Oops..." She chuckled bashfully. With a rueful smile, she gently placed Amy back onto her feet, bringing her weakened arm around her shoulders to aid her towards the sulking, worn out, fabric sofa.

"Amy." Manic rushed over to his sibling with Rob following shortly behind.

From their segregated positions, the heroes rushed over to the girl to hear of the latest news. A gathering of Tails, Knuckles, Sally and Rouge encircled behind the immediate family. A mixture of deep concern and humourless stares was displayed amongst them. All composed yet condoling.

They watched with hesitant cautiousness as she slumped onto the furniture. There was trauma frozen to her features. Her screams and tears now at ease, she stared blankly at the ground in soundlessness. Unblinking and dissociated.

Crouching down in front of the hedgehog, Manic placed a delicate hand against her knee, holding a sombre look on his face. "Amy... What happened?"

At long last, she blinked. Once, twice, shortly thrice. Her tired eyes came to fall onto her brother. With another blink, she was pricked as more tears began to surface. "He's gone..." She muttered, her breath seizing up from her emotions taking over.

Taking in the strain on her face and her actions following Sonic's neglect, leading to the bathroom, he read the truth through her unrefined passion. "What?" He gasped, his hands slipping off her knee in his shock. Vacantly, he stared straight ahead, like his sister, forgetting the instinct of blinking.

Returning to her expelling of emotions, Amy gasped for breath as she uncontrollably blabbered the condition of her lover. "Dad got to him. Said something about being in his head and how he would never escape him. And after seeing where Dad got his anger from, he was convinced he would lead the exact same life..." Shaking her head, she wrapped her arms around her stomach and leaned forward. "This is all my fault! If I had taken that stupid pill, I wouldn't have put the fear into his head!"

Breaking out of his horrified gaze, Manic looked down at her clinging arms. The violent retching she had experienced... He could only dread it's cause. "Amy... You're not pregnant, are you?"

She couldn't answer him. Too ashamed, she bit her lip and sat back, keeping her gaze to the ground.

Connecting the pieces together, Knuckles gawped at the expressions of the girl in question, alongside her siblings. Mortified, but without shock. As though the insanity he was sifting through was not new to them. But that couldn't be possible, surely? His friend potentially bailing because of a possible pregnancy with his own sister?

Turning his abhorred sighting onto his girlfriend, she swiftly caught onto his stare and picked up on his findings with just as much speed. "Knuckles..." She said, subdued.

"This boyfriend- **Her** boyfriend I've been covering for is Sonic?" He questioned her, appalled by the possibility. His disgust transitioned into a discomforted anger. A confused unsettlement in knowing he had been used to cover up an act of incest, rather than an ill-suited boyfriend he had been made to believe. This anger came with the side effect of impatience towards his girlfriend as she was reluctant to answer him. "Isn't it?!"

For a moment, she watched the multiple scandalised expressions of her peers. Aghast faces of her brother's close friend, Tails and the girl that carried him in her heart ever so. She chose to ignore the revolted features of the bat and focused mainly on her partner. She could feel his judgement, his hurt. The overall perplexity of the abomination that he could not express appropriately.

In that moment, she synchronised with her siblings. The ravaging shame and guilt she felt from the hiding the monstrosity was just an inkling to what Sonic and Amy had felt all this time.

To live with that indignity while suffering under their father's maltreatment, she deeply commiserated with her sister and eldest brother.

Gazing back to her younger sibling, she saw the same humiliation take over her. She closed her eyes tightly, shunning away the disgusted scrutiny she could sense from those not aware of the full situation. Another pang hit her heart, for her sister was too emotionally beaten to receive anymore affliction. "Knuckles, please." She pleaded with him. "This isn't the time..."

He scoffed in disbelief. "You're kidding me, right?! You've had me covering for her, for both of 'em, knowing they were together?! You didn't think I had a right to know who and what I was covering up?!"

"Oi." Manic intervened, getting up from his crouched position and stepping towards the echidna. "Don't talk to my sister that way." He growled with threatening tone.

Somewhat humoured by the boy's audacity to confront him, Knuckles expressed a faint chuckle. "What's the deal with you then, huh? You want a piece of my girlfriend too? Wanna keep it in the family? Are you all into this?"

Indignant, Manic scoped the echidna from his head, to his shoes. "Is that the kinda respect you show my sister? The defilement you give her name? I get that she lied to you, but she did so out of love for her brother and sister. And because of that unconditional love, you slander her with talk of incest? How dare you label her as your girlfriend when you barely hold the respect to hear it out before throwing accusations."

The verbal confrontation had dragged his holier-than-thou stature to humbled contrition. Looking over the green hedgehog's shoulder, he could see his wounded girlfriend staring back at him, tears building in her glazed eyes and ready to cascade. A heart searing scene.

"Hold up a sec." Rouge stepped in, taking her stance beside Knuckles. "You can't discard the possibility so abruptly. He just informed us about Sonic and Amy. That both of you have known about this for who knows how long. What's to tell us this isn't some messed up family thing?"

Her accusations were derided by the fuchsia hedgehog. Marching towards her nemesis, she confronted her at nose length. "Stay out of this, Blusher. You have no idea what you're talking about."

"I think it's perfectly clear." Rouge said with condescending intent. "Your brother and sister are a pair of incestuous freaks and now he's left her with his inbred baby." She laughed in spite. "Probably for the best, isn't it? Wouldn't want to have evidence of his perversion."

Letting out an infuriated roar, Sonia swung her fist at the bat. Her anger infused into her punch, she gave the attack her all, ruthless to the damage she was to inflict on the woman before her. The punch however did not make its end. Hearing a struggling whimper, Sonia looked to her left to see Amy had caught her wrist before it could hit it's target. The strength hero gawped at the girl in shock, their peers just as dazed.

"Don't..." She implored her sister. "Please... don't defend me."

"Amy?" Sonia questioned her motives, blinking back at the pink hedgehog.

Lowering her sibling's hand, Amy looked around at the individual faces and mesmerised each one. She painfully smiled back at them. "We prepared ourselves for this. For the judgement and repulse. We understood this would be our normality, the expected response. And you're right to feel that way; to be disgusted." She shrugged hopelessly back at them. "It's wrong and we knew it."

Their reactions lessening, they held back their objections.

"We tried to fight it. After our parents separated us, we tried to stop feeling the way we feel. I threw myself into my training, and he tried to move on from me." She explained, looking apologetic towards the chipmunk. "But... we couldn't control this feeling."

"He's your brother..." Knuckles reminded her, incensed by her talk of lacking self-control.

"Yes, I know. We know that more than anyone on Mobius. Neither of us ever asked for this to happen." She cried, placing her hand against her heart. "No one would ever want to fall in love with someone they're not supposed to be in love with. No one would wish to feel ashamed, to feel less than Mobian, for whom they love. We saw the looks of disgust and rage on our family's faces. We took the awkward questions and uncomfortable gawping, because we're in love and nothing has ever changed that."

The echidna crossed his arms, shrugging indifferently back at the hedgehog. "So what? You're just gonna justify a relationship with your own brother?"

The familiar shame brought her to silence. Weakened once more by the union stares of conviction, she lowered her gaze, submitting to their revilement.

"Technically they're not related..." Rob defended his cousin. "Amy's my cousin. We're Mercian. There's no blood relation whatsoever."

"And that's supposed to make all of this okay?" Rouge placed her hands on her hips. "You heard about the general's actions against Sonic. If he hadn't been sniffing around her, he wouldn't have been shipped off to Mercia in the first place!"

"Oh, you're seriously not blaming Sonic for the abuse he faced!" Sonia balled her fists.

"He knew he shouldn't have got too close to her. Adopted sister or not, she's still his family and he crossed the line." She said, resolutely. "Seems it went far beyond that line and possibly resulted in a kid."

Objecting to her friend's opinion, Sally placed her hand on Rouge's shoulder and frowned deeply. "That's not really fair, Rouge. It's one thing to discipline your children, but what the general did to Sonic was unforgivable."

"Sally's right." Tails jumped in, standing within the neutral party with the chipmunk. "I caught the general abusing Sonic on the day of the ceremony. When I brought it up with Sonic, he told me to stay out of it for my own protection. Had he only been disciplined whenever he did something wrong, he wouldn't have been so accustomed to the attacks."

"What the general did was wrong. No one is disputing that." Knuckles said. "But if we desert our positions, we'll be siding with... this." He spoke with bitterness.

Shooting a deathly glare towards her boyfriend, Sonia breathed in a harsh breath, her veins protruding within her neck with the strain of suppressing her emotions. "Babe... Are you really going to abandon him... abandon me?" Her seconds of anger were cast aside by her throbbing heart. "I have never agreed with their relationship, neither do I morally support it." She sniffled. "But I love them with all my heart and I'd sooner see passed their emotions for one another than to see either of them..." A splice to her heart responded in an involuntary gasp for air. Clinging to her chest, she looked to her sister and with a shaking hand, took a hold of her own.

"Sonia..." Knuckles murmured softly, his facial muscles relaxing at the surrender to his lover's pain. Powerful her passion would burn her, blazing it's intensity towards him and bringing his temper to simmer. He felt foolish. Foolish to have placed his beloved in such a position that offered little choice but to choose between her family and himself. Love or morals? While they both stood on the same page in regards to rights and wrongs, it was her love that set her vision more clear.

In the moment of shock, he had allowed his anger to visualise the morals and disregard his personal relationship with his close friend. The brother he never had. More crucial to his heart, he had disregarded the struggles of his girlfriend. The girl in which pushed her views aside for the sake of her siblings and lost everything to keep that secret.

"If you're really gonna choose to turn your back on your friend, then you'll lose me too." Sonia cried, bringing both hands to hold her sister's hands close to her.

"Sonia." Amy gasped, her head turning to the girl beside her. "Think about what you're saying."

"Don't tell me any different, Amy." The mighty heroine protested. She looked back to her boyfriend with determination smiting him, ignoring the streams of tears that came with her heartbreak. "As much as I love you, I will not turn my back on my family." The structure of her forced composure began to break with every beat her wretch heart gave. "So what's it gonna be?"

His face would not give away his emotions, for the thought of appearing vulnerable in front of his peers left him stubborn in delivering the obvious answer. His stubbornness being a key factor to his inner conflict. He could see her perspective, why she had chosen to keep such ludicrous circumstances from him, why she was still willing to risk it all.

But she was far too quick, too compassionate, to discard all consequences aside.

In a matter of more or less two weeks, she had lost her stability; a father, united parents and a home. She had potentially lost her career; turned against the general, lied to military officials and was willing to counterattack them in the name of Sonic and Amy. Now, she stood before him, bleeding her torment through trembling skin, telling him she would give him up, for them.

It bothered him. Immensely. Thin his lips became once his eyes fell upon the pink hedgehog. Just how far would they push their family? Push their boundaries until they affected the lives of those they claimed to care so dearly for?

"Kn-" His lover whimpered, her tremors now viciously shaking every inch of her being.

In the peak of his indifferent, exempt of emotions, his brows steadily rose, bearing his intolerance towards his lover's anguish.

The woman beside him scoffed at this weakening, shaking her head towards her ex. "Come on, Knuckles. You're seriously not gonna side with this ridiculous fight? This is insane and you know it!"

His empathetic brows quickly furrowed as he turned his body towards the bat. "It is. No denying that..." He looked back at his girlfriend with sincerity and blocking out the other heroes, expressed his sentiment. "But I'll take it all on, if that means I won't lose you." The skin of his cheeks blended with the hue of his fur from the humiliation of professing his love in front of many. Firm gaze refused to drift from his significant other to savour his dignity all the while signal a call of surrender.

Without hesitation, his merciful beau loosened her ridged body and drew closer to him. No words were exchanged, her emotions too congealed to come out in dialogue. Her arms wrapped him in a secured hold, her body firmly compacted against him to affirm her racing heart. A shaking breath sounding her relief, she buried her face into his neck. Her heart soon falling back into it's typical rhythm after breathing in his familiar scent.

"I'm sorry." He whispered in her ear. A sweet kiss was placed on the tip of her ear, a thankful gesture that was followed with his arms reaching around her waist.

Their affection for one another was as equally repulsive to her as the tale between the two relative lovers. Rouge looked away in disgust, shaking her head to the atrocity enacted before her. Emotions ruling over logic had blinded those who opposed the affair. Including the only one other than herself to voice their judgement.

She laughed audaciously, shaking her head at the whole outrageous situation. "Okay. I feel like I'm the only one that's seeing sense here." Another insolent laugh left her moisturised lips.

Her unpopular opinion was met with the glances of those present; intolerance from the hedgehog clan contrasting with the intrigued consideration from the rest.

"Look, Amy. I'm really not trying to be against you here. If getting it on with your brother is your fancy, then you do you... But have you not taken into consideration that your relationship is causing more bad than good? I mean, from what I've put together, you're relationship started well before Sonic joining us in Mercia. That's why you two were separated in the first place, right?"

Amy nodded miserably slow, bringing her eyes to be distracted by the ring on her finger.

"In that time, Sonic's been abused and mistreated because of his feelings towards you. He's broken Sally's heart because of his obsession with you."

Unprepared for the call-out, Sally brought her hand to her elbow, holding herself bashfully and wounded.

"Then something happens involving the both of you and your dad, resulting in everything that's lead up to now. In the time you were gone, your family has gone into hiding. Forced to leave everything they know and love, _we_ have turned our backs on the organisation, put our own lives at risk, under the pretence that we were saving Sonic from the general, **not** allowing a randy hedgehog to fool around with his sister." She tutted to herself in sarcastic humour. "Oh wait. _adopted_ sister. That's obviously very important to the situation."

Left doubtful, Amy fiddled with the jewelry honoured to her by her mother. Dawdling over the ruby, she called upon its symbolic strength to see her through. She envisioned the woman who had sacrificed herself for her brother. The man that had done the same for her. These acts of courage that carried her through her most downhearted ordeals would continue to push her in the only direction she could go.

If not for herself, then for Sonic.

"When we were kids, Sonic placed this ring around my neck after we found out I was adopted. He said he placed it on my neck as a charm of my strength. Because to him, I've always been strong." Her hand raised to eye level, the gleaming jewel, unfazed by the filth that covered her gloves around it. She captured the glint in her eyes, ingraining the message into her fragile heart. "Nights ago, he placed it on my finger and promised me that we'd tell the world about us; no more lying or running. And I promised to get through every obstacle that came our way, together... I haven't fulfilled that promise... But I intend to."

Holding a stern gaze, Rouge allowed an amused grin to conquer her face. "So you are gonna go ahead with this? Disregard everything your love for Sonic has caused?"

"Yeah. Yeah I am." She declared. "I have spent most of my life living in fear and shame and to be honest, it's gotten really old. So here I am, a sick, depraved girl waiting for anyone here to cast the first stone."

The offender stood amongst those that judged, waiting with her head high, opposing them with gathered dignity and decorum. Her jury however held their breaths, their thoughts kept in mind.

"No one has nothing to say?" She questioned, looking around at the heroes. She was ultimately met with reservation. "Then let's be clear. Whatever you have to say or think... It's not gonna change how I feel for him. We defied our parents and the military, so defying all of you will just be another category to the list. If our relationship really disturbs you, then go. You have no obligation whatsoever. But as we speak, Sonic is out there; alone, vulnerable and on the verge of taking his own life-" The swelling of her emotional pain restricted her breathing, forcing her to inhale deeply and cling to her chest.

But for her duty to her lover, she pushed through her turmoil and composed herself to implore the help of those willing.

"However you feel about me or the relationship, that's fine. But I'm begging you to please help me save Sonic. As your friend, your officer... As a person. Please, help him."

A circulation of assurance-seeking between the heroes brought a perturbed quiet in her desperation. Their minimal expressions and time consuming digression came with doubt and apprehension. Had her lover meant anything to his comrades, she perceived there would be a form of imperative to aid him in his dire need.

Had the news of their illegitimate relationship cause such outrage, they would allow their friend to die?

The verdict had been voicelessly handed to the bat. Eyes bouncing from her, to Amy, they stood back and attentive.

"Hm..." Rouge lightly chuckled. "We might not agree with the relationship. But hey, you own it and I like that. Sonic was right about you. You are quite the strong character."

Struck with relief, Amy exhaled a short breath, her chest falling and raising as it ejected the stress off of her lungs.

Her relief however was quickly overshadowed by the instant appearance of nausea. The unwelcome wave whirling its way out of her system granted her a warning, accompanied with the thinning saliva to aid it's exit.

She gagged, covering her mouth instinctively before rushing to the nearest appropriate destination. With limited time to reach the bathroom, she sought the kitchen sick.

The open plan living room was just feet away from the grotesque sounds of her retching.

Approaching the girl from behind, Manic rubbed her back tenderly, facing away from the contamination in the sink. "You need to take a test." He insisted.

Her sickness subsiding if not for a moment, Amy shuddered at the potential, a skipped beat to her burdened heart forcing her body to twitch. "I'm scared, Manic. With Sonic going off on his own, and the military still looking for all of us, I-" She breathed heavily. "I can't... have a baby."

Watching his sister begin to lose her composure, Manic wrapped his arm around her shoulders and pulled her into a hug. "Calm yourself, Ames. Before you get set on the thought, do a test. When are you due anyway?"

His sister blushed lightly, her eyes drifting into various directions to avoid any awkward tension. "What?"

He brought her at arms length, his features serious and unaffected by the personal question. "Your period." He said blatantly. "When's it due?"

She avoided his eye contact. "Three days..."

"You should be able to get a decent reading off of that... Hopefully." He held onto her wrist and guided her back to the group. As he let her join the congregation, he stood amongst the team and gave the commands. "We don't have anymore time to lose. First, we need to get a hold of Sonic before he does something stupid. I can try 'nd tap into the electron accelerator, but what with it being an EMP, I can only get to it when it's switched off. We'll also running on the hope that Sonic hasn't taken it off."

"We can do the same for his communicator." Tails pointed out. "We'll have more time with the communicator, but the encryption will be more challenging to decipher. A brief delay or one mistake could alert the military of our attempts to crack into their system."

"And lose our new, luxurious home?" The green hedgehog chuckled. "Not to worry, Little T. Our heads are more than enough to take on those guys." He said, earning a smile from the younger genius.

"What do you need us to do?" Knuckles questioned.

Looking back at the unassigned heroes, Manic glanced at his youngest sister in the comforting arms of her cousin. His lips bowed with sympathy. "Before Amy can join any sorta battle, we gotta make sure she's capable of fighting." He explained.

"I'll get her a test." Rouge volunteered. "It'll be best to send someone with the skill to get out without getting caught."

Manic nodded back at her, untroubled by her methods of obtaining the vital item. "The rest of you, be on the lookout for military service."

"Roger." The team answered him.

Dispersing from the meeting, the heroes scattered throughout the apartment complex to take on their duties.

All save the pink hedgehog, still in the arms of Rob. Sullen in burden, her ears drooped heavily, her eyes sealing shut. She was to hopelessly wait for the unknown. Helpless and unassertive. Only time could ease her pain. When she would be reunited with the troubled hedgehog in blue.

* * *

Sluggard and torpid, the dirt beneath his grungy shoes was disturbed. Legs passively limp through the undergrowth, bearing no vitality to lift themselves over the fallen twigs and maturing duff. They would snag and crunch under the scuffing, mud-splattered soles, being pushed aside by the monotonous footing.

The rumbling clouds above palled together to obscure his path, raining down it's outrage while sincerely intercepting his intent. With a deluge pelting against his already sleek, moistened fur, the skies issued an alarm, a signal in hopes to awaken him from his mental internment.

But still, he trudged through the tenebrous night, relying on nothing but his own dilated eyes to guide him.

His body and mind functioned on autopilot, the two contrasting in views but ultimately working as one. The suffocating dolour ruled a tyrannic reign, it's subjects being all that he was; his identity, his goals, happiness and his purpose. Kneeling before this ever gloom and succumbing to its sovereignty.

Though instinct would not back down. Even with its mediocre sizing, a mere protestor to the governing glum, it carried the memories of those he cherished, those who would succeed his pain in his demise.

His emotions remained all the while immobile. Securely secluded from the war that raged in the subconsciousness. With the back and forth pessimistism and hope, came a toxic cycle. For everytime his mind would bring it's argument to remain, the cynical indoctrination of his blackened thoughts would counterattack with a domineering justification, bringing him more pain to hold back.

He just wanted to be rid of all the heartache.

Divorced from reality, the sheer cold kneading at his skin had hardly been acknowledged. As the dewy leaves would sliver against his body, urging him to turn away, he paid no mind. The trees, for years had witnessed his turmoil, cried out over the hushing rain with the wind slipping through them. But alas, he was too far gone.

The intervention from nature could not reverse what had been done, what he was to become. Everyone he cared for had been tainted with his freakish degradation. His mother; losing precious years from his childhood, losing her marriage. And what of his siblings? Forced to take the burden of his corruption because he refused to let it go.

And Amy? Oh. The sweet and graceful heroine to the people. He had ruined her from the start. It was him. It had always been him who had initiated it all. From the innocent kisses, to the inappropriate touches. When she had tried to turn away from him, he pulled her right back into the debauchery. And now? He had destroyed her dreams of becoming the Beloved Flower to all nations and had possibly left her fifteen and pregnant.

What about this conceivable child of his? What if this anger was in fact hereditary? Was such hostile anger even a trait to be passed into genes? Would they hate him? Hate him for leaving their mother to face the music of his orchestrated divide?

But then, wasn't it better to know he would sooner die than watch himself become his child's enemy?

Much like his own father, he would falter in rage and witness the love fade from his lover's eyes, as well as his little boy or girl.

No. He wouldn't, couldn't allow that.

The dam withstanding his emotions began to crumble. Quaking and juddering at the might of the rallying desolation. The crisp droplets against his skin now resembling sharp pins against his arms, beckoning small, shrivelled bumps upon the surface. He trembled in the winter night. Sharp, though short breaths drawing chilled air into the oxygenated forest.

Even as his conscientiousness awakened, his agony dragged him towards his end. Features followed the deterioration of his manner; nose sniffling, lips quivering and tears descending down numbed cheeks. He was defiant. Uncertain and dreaded.

There was longing in his misery. A desperation for somebody, anybody to pull him back from this fatality. If he were to reach a hand to the sky, would he receive a saviour? Would he find solace, a way out?

He paused. His vision only just making out the different tones of woodland looking over the vast lake. It seemed to drift on forever. A never ending pool of icy depth. Such a chill was difficult to forget.

The lake that captured his most horrific traumas would bring him his dissolution.

A stunted breath scoffed at the irony.

It was as his father had said. He would wash away the taint of his degeneracy and restore the honour he stripped from his eyes.

And put an end to his turmoil.

He allowed himself to fall into the chasm of the darkness. The agony possessing him and seeking relief. Slowly, he waded through the hibernal waters, the cold gnawing at his legs. Immediately, he gasped to the shock attacking his heart. It was just as he remembered. Stabbing blades all at once, bitter enough to steal the breath. The biting water rising up his body and forcing his blood vessels to squeeze themselves tightly. His heart forcefully pounding against his ribs in response to the brutal cold only endorsed his excruciation. A lethal execution by his worst enemy.

In seconds, he saw tones of black transcend into one mass of nothingness. Plunging into the chilling deep and witnessing his body become victim to the gravitational pull. His body overcome by numbing cold, he could only feel his body begin to drop to the fathomless base of the lake.

And then, he was rising.

Unwillingly and instinct driven, the blue boy had held his breath on impact. He kicked and thrashed, his depression that drove him to this point seemingly fading from memory and being taken over by the imposing terror that was his phobia. Gasping and panting desperately, he flailed around on the surface, his sight just making out the short distance to the bank.

In his frantic clawing against the water, he was reminded of his limited capability of swimming. Without the skill to keep him afloat, he solely relied on impulse to get him out.

The more he would fight, the less effective his attempts became.

He submerged once more, immediately spluttering and gasping upon resurfacing. Doom resided. Unlike the first time, he was without a guardian to save him. Should he be taken by the chasmic depths, there was no way back.

Grunting above and under the water, Sonic reached out to the lake's edge, commanding his body to follow the direction of his hand. The water rose above his head, again to be submerged in the darkness.

"Nngh!" He grunted in his haste. With the energy in his limbs becoming a luxury, he paid attention the little time he would have if he didn't get himself out of the lake. Focusing his power into his goal, the blue boy tucked himself into a spiral and forced all his energy into an upthrust.

His body shot up from the beneath the rippling waters and propelled onto the pebbled stones, rolling across the bumpy ground harshly. Panting profusely, he regained his breath on all fours. Forced wheezing and profound spluttering, the little water that had found its way into his throat spilled onto the ground below. With the glacial liquid out of his system, he sat back against the doused glass and rested his head in his hand.

"Shit." He muttered aloud, the palm of his sopping wet glove pressing hard against his forehead. What had just happened? He was fearful of that answer, of knowing how far gone he had become. Just how close had he come to his death?

His mind spiralled into production, bombarded with thoughts and theories to his subconsciously driven attempt to cleanse his darkness. He had brought himself here, to the Bethalegion forests. Did that mean he truly wanted to die? Had the desire been so great, that he got as far as he did?

No. He knew desire all too well. The consuming wants and needs that scorched all taboos and prevailed victory over whom he chose to love. No, this wasn't desire. He didn't want to die, to not see his friends and family, his lover, again.

It was the dark that he wanted to be rid of.

Still buffeted by the torrential downpour, Sonic took in his surroundings. He was still very much cold. Bitterly so. Chilled to the marrow in his bones. His body shivered, only just was it noticed. There was a risk of illness from his stationed perch, but for a moment, he would relish in the sensation.

A deep inhalation gathered the smells of the forest within the storm. The earthy scent of moss and fungus was potent from the rain, though the water itself was fresh and crisp. Blending contently with forest pine. A sweeter scent gifted by the nature around him.

Tilting his head up towards the beating rain, he partially parted his lips, allowing his burning throat to be eased by the water.

He took in every aspect of the environment; the subzero temperature, the sensations against his body and the scents rising from the earth. These little characteristics of life bringing his out of its clouded state. Back to a comfortable level of rationality.

Fingers embedded into the pebbles as an anchor to help him rise to his feet. Walking to the edge of the lake, he looked across the dusk, the shades mimicking the darker side of his mind. The two could not exist as one. The mortal against the shadow. But he was not his trauma. His grief did not define him. Beyond the abuse, was a boy loved by a mother, by siblings, by friends and citizens of Eurish. A hero; an officer of the Eurish military.

A boy encompassed with a love so ungovernable, not even their oppressors could diminish it.

Amy... Chaos only knew how distressed she must've been.

He swept his drenched quills back with a sigh. Knowing his future was to be a battle of the mind, he felt at ease to know his love would be there to fight alongside him. Just as she had promised him.

Preparing himself to take off for the resistance hideout, Sonic abruptly paused at the sound of engines. At a distance, above high. It was a mild hum, greatly dissimilar to regular plane or helicopter engines. It was advanced, purposely discrete.

His head shot up towards the aircrafts. Flying across the Bethalegion forest was a pack of Egg Hunters. The five black and red armoured war machines travelled in a 'V' formation, heading east of his location.

Sonic furrowed his brows. "Eggman. What're you up to now?"

Contradictory to the significance of Eggman's appearance, his heart fluttered with excitement. In the most perilous events, he thrived. His true self took to the spotlight and decimated the opposition. Though possibly inapt, he saw the threat as a blessing. His uncertainties and woes would be pushed aside and on the battlefield, he would set himself free.

Bolting across the boundless lake, he followed the Eggs Hunters back to base. Head down and arms pinned back, he tore through the rippling surface and beneath the dense thicket. Subtle as it was, a faint grin grew on his lips, empowered by the high of running, of the risk. To be the saviour.

Even if for a blip in time, he was the mightiest hero. A boy loved by thousands and praised by his father. The ideal son.

* * *

There was significant familiarity with the scene. One the echidna could recall many times in their relationship. Standing four metres in front of him, his girlfriend expressed her discontent. Arms crossed, tightly puckering lips and brows falling over tear-glazed eyes.

Their reconciliation before their peers had not been enough to bury the dispute for her. His accusation disgraced her, belittled her in front of the heroes. Worse, he had sided against her with her enemy and his ex. He believed that particular reason affected her the most.

Now alone in the dim lit master bedroom, away from the observation and judgement of the others, he leaned back against the wall, awaiting for her calculated argument to be brought to him.

Slowly she turned her head towards him, expecting him to be the first to initiate the conversation. Deliver an elaborated apology and assure her of his love for her. That her security was a priority and would be treated as such.

So to see him leaning against the wall, beside the bedroom door, staring back at her patiently, she couldn't help but feel irritated by his dormant nature. "Well?" She confronted him, giving him a look of expectance.

Knuckles blinked back at her, not entirely certain what she was enquiring. "Well, what?"

Sonia shrugged, visibly unimpressed. "You honestly don't know why I'm upset?"

"Course I do." He answered. "And I told you that I'm sorry."

His little words were misinterpreted in translation. Without explaining his wrong doing, his girlfriend drew away from him, as if offended by his straightforward response.

"Do you even know what you're apologising for?" She asked.

His eyes rolled up to the ceiling, a sigh escaping his lips. This. This particular trait of his lover was testimony for his love and tolerance towards her. Whenever she would declare he had done wrong, he was subjected to being chastised and demeaned, forced to take her abuse until he either apologised or she would come round. It took all of his patience to maintain his poise. Though admittedly, it was becoming more difficult to withstand her diva-esque behaviour.

"Could you not?" He frowned, tiresome.

"What?" The girl breathed out, her hands clamping onto her hips. "Oh you are not giving me an attitude after you literally accused me of sleeping with my brother, in front of everyone, **and** sided with _her_ of all people."

"Yeah... This is about Rouge again..." He told himself aloud, peeling himself off the wall, he paced around the room leisurely, distracting himself from his irritation. Predictable. Their fight, like it would always turn out, had somersaulted back to his ex. Ironically, while he had moved on, Sonia seemed relatively obsessed with the bat.

"You and her were literally against me, accusing me of doing messed up shit. You even allowed her to talk shit about my brother! _Your_ best friend!"

"It's hardly taking sides if we share the same opinion every once and awhile." He retaliated, stopping in his track before his girlfriend. "And again, my bad for getting heated up about it, but it was a shock! All these weeks, I thought I was covering up for some sleaze for Amy, and I find out it was for her own brother? And that you knew about it? That's a lot to take on at once."

The heroine scrunched her features, equally bothered by his justification. "And that make it okay for you to accuse me of incest?"

Feeling the conversation was going around in circles, the echidna growled beneath his breath and walked away from the hedgehog. "Would you get to the point already? I said I'm sorry a dozen times, can't you just drop it?!"

His argumentative streak had appeared as a surprise to her. Though appreciative of his will to say more than a few stunted words back at her, his tone and attitude she did not favour. He was irked. At her. This spectacle was something she hadn't expected from him. While he was in the wrong? When she was as emotionally exposed before him?

She stiffened her form, straightening herself and turning her body adjacent to his own. Standoffish and even still, privately fascinated.

"Just..." He sucked his lips inwards, lowering the tone of his voice to lessen his vexatious mind, however instill a firm character. "Just get to the point? What are you really mad about?"

Stubbornness covered her emotions. Holding herself, she lowered her head, avoiding his gaze. "You should know already..."

"For God sake, Sonia!" Knuckles raised his voice at her. Letting out a frustrated groan, he looked away from her, subsequently turning back and opting to remove the filter he had on his words. "Why can't you just fucking tell me what the fuck is wrong with you instead of this petty shit all the god damn time?!"

"I'm not being petty!" She argued. Shaking her head at the pent up echidna, Sonia lowered her defence, wearing her hurt on her face. "How can you be so oblivious to the _obvious_ reason?!"

"It's Rouge, isn't it?" He cut her off before she could deter the conversation again. Unprepared for his abrupt question, Sonia spilled her truth onto her facial expressions. Knuckles shook his head, exasperated. "Of course..."

"Yeah, of course it is." She admitted, sounding ashamed to revive the same dispute. "When is it not about her?"

"You're the one who brings her up all the time..."

"And why do you think that is? She's around almost all the time, butting her nose in where it isn't wanted. The point of an ex is that they're no longer in your life and she is constantly in yours!"

"Is it my fault that she's apart of the team?"

"No, but-"

"Then why am I the punching bag to your frustration everytime she does something as little as breathe in front of you?"

Tears sprang from her eyes with little warning. In her agitation, she wiped them away harshly. "You're so fucking inconsiderate, it's unreal."

"I'm inconsiderate for trying to get you to be straight with me and talk about what's bothering you?!" He pointed towards himself defensively.

"Okay..." She huffed, placing her hands on her hips. "Since you're obviously too clueless to figure it out; I feel betrayed! Backstabbed, double crossed!" She gritted her teeth. "Seeing you on her side, against me. Do you have any idea how it feels?! To see you back her up, after everything she's done to you? To us?"

Her significant other stammered on his wording, not fully understanding the seriousness of her emotions. He knew what Rouge could be like, that she was just as strong-headed as his girlfriend, but was it worth the drama she caused because of it?

In his eyes, definitely not.

"We just agreed that Sonic and Amy's relationship isn't worth jeopardising our careers, or our lives for that matter. Just because we agreed on something, doesn't mean we're on route to getting back together."

"She wants you to get back with her!" She stomped. "Can't you see that she was trying to sway you onto her side?"

Unintentionally, he chortled. Shaking his head at the paranoia she presented. "I'm sorry... This is nuts."

"Don't." Sonia muttered aggressively. "Don't you dare laugh at me. You don't know what it's like to be threatened in your relationship. To be on guard to defend your happiness from some flying troll every minute." She rubbed her temples, hoping to rid herself of a maturing headache. "I've held this secret for weeks, knowing that my parents would explode if they found out. Because of me, they found out... And I lost everything because of it. My family, my home, everything. I can't lose you too."

Her emotions caught up with her and streamed down her face. Her truth destroyed her front, her body shaking from the threat of breaking down before her beloved. Through her quivering lips, a sob hosted the beginning to her crumbling. Wobbling legs gave into her agony and brought her to her knees. On the floor, she buried her face into the palm of her hands to conceal her sobbing.

"There's a chance I'm gonna lose my brother and all I need is for you to reassure me that I won't have to deal with anymore loss. I- I'm not strong enough face anymore grief." She cried, her hands now away from her face, she allowed him to see her raw emotions. To find the sympathy by the ache on her face.

Met with her verity, he gave her a humbled smile and knelt before her. Expressing no words, her boyfriend took her hands in his and stroked her shaking fingers with his thumbs. "Idiot. You've always had me on your side."

His light-hearted insult caused her to breathe out a faint giggle, a light smile remaining on her lips. "I know that. Deep down, I do." She shook her head at her own logic with a sigh. "But with Rouge around all the time, I guess I've just been..."

"A bitch." He candidly interjected.

"... No." She glared. "I've been... overprotective, defensive, on edge."

Knuckles nodded back at her in acknowledgment. Pulling the girl into his arms, he caressed her back and rested his head on her own. "You've forgotten throughout all the mischief Rouge has done, I've been loyal and open with you. I meant what I said out there, I don't wanna lose you. I'm not gonna let her interfere with what we have and for that to work, you gotta stop letting her get to you and put your trust in me."

"I do trust you." She confirmed with him, lifting her head to look into his violet eyes.

"Then show it. She's gonna want us to fight over whatever story she comes up with, so trust that I wouldn't risk losing you."

Her gratitude was given by a warmed smile. Bashful, she bowed her head and giggled. "Have I really been such a bitch to you?"

She was met with a straight face, one that resulted in another laugh from the fuchsia hedgehog. "That's an understatement." His unexpressive features spilled into laughter along with her.

"Well thank you for putting up with my attitude." The girl lowered her head back against his chest. "Thank you for not leaving." Her humour now subsided, her mind wandered to thoughts of her blue brother, sombre and sullen her attitude became.

Listening to the sound of her earnest tone, his hand repeated it's soothing motion to her back. "Hey, it's alright. I'm sure Sonic's just gone to clear his head."

"But you heard what Amy said. All this time, he's been so depressed and none of us took any notice..." She squeezed her eyes shut and forced the building tears away from her eyes. "His personality changed. Even when he tried to hide it, the change was still noticeable. We should've done something sooner. Talk to him? Listened to the signs? If we had at least done something, he wouldn't be in this vulnerable state."

"There's no point questioning what could've been done. Just focus on finding him." Knuckles assured her.

His forthright manner brought on another faint giggle. "You really spare no exception with that candid attitude of yours."

"We're pretty straightforward back in Downunda."

"And I love you more for it... I kinda like you keeping me in check." She grinned back at him.

"Yeah?" He returned her enthused gesture. "Well don't make this an opportunity to be more of a bitch. My patience ain't that high."

"Oh you really do know how to flatter a girl."

"Heh. I know." He smiled. His hands came either side of her face and brought her lips to meet with his own. A firm kiss of reassurance and encouragement to keep his lover going. In the fugacious affection, she returned her appreciation through domineering ardency. Deep in her intoxication, her hands began their bewitching temptation.

The amorous fondling was quickly simmered by her boyfriend. He chuckled at her attempts nonetheless. "You are really something else, you know that?"

"I know. I'm pretty amazing if I say so myself." She jested, sharing another round of laughter with the crimson echidna. Both teens rising to their feet, a less enamoured kiss was exchanged before wrapping their arms around one another. "I'd better go check on Amy. She's probably taken the test by now."

"Here's hoping it's negative."

"I know. Like yay me if I get promoted to the fun aunt, but she's so young. And if Sonic isn't found, she could be a single parent."

"There's a lot riding on it. For her sake, I'll hope upon the Master Emerald for a negative."

"Thanks, Babe." Sonia glanced admirably at the red male.

Walking with her boyfriend down the darkened halls, Knuckles gave a final kiss to the mighty heroine before she departed into the bathroom. Opening the door, she witnessed her sister staring back at her in the smudged mirror. Rouge and Sally stood either side of the hedgehog, their eyes falling on the fourth girl before they turned back to the digital stick residing on the dust covered counter.

"So? What's it say?" Sonia questioned the three.

"She's only just taken it." Sally told her. "As Rouge informed us, the more concentrated the specimen is, the more accurate the results. So we've been waiting til she needed to go rather than giving her water."

Sonia nodded back at the chipmunk. "Not bad logic, Blusher. That take more than one brain cell?"

The bat raised her eyebrow, a smirk following its levitation. "For your information, it's from experience." Her smirk grew to the sunken facial expressions of the fuchsia hedgehog. "Could you imagine how cute a baby echidna would've been?"

"Hopefully it would've taken it's father's looks and not yours." She smiled passive aggressively back at her and then turned to her sister. "You alright, Ames?"

Amy sighed, looking away from the mirror and turning to face her sister. The fatigue and stress bore onto her features. Skin still bloodless, emphasising the dark circles beneath her eyes. Shoulders heavy and slouched, she leaned back against the counter, her dull eyes holding just enough energy to hold themselves open.

"I just want to find Sonic..." She muttered monotonously.

A tense air brought the hair at the back of her neck to rise. Disturbed into awakening, Amy slowly turned her head to the brunette beside her. A jab to the heart had struck her. Tongue pressed harshly to her top set of teeth, she looked ahead, her hands clenched to her sides.

The guilt was back again. Although, rather than feel the shame of her love for her brother, she was apologetic towards the girl that had her heart broken in the mess they had caused. To make her feel worse, Sally had hardly expressed any resentment or anger towards her.

She had been kind; comforting her through her sickness and assuring her of Sonic's safety. Even when she suffered greatly from heartbreak, she rose above it to aid her through her turmoil.

The graceful heroine could only admire her courageous and compassion. "Sally... ?" Amy started.

Fixing her posture, Sally turned to the girl beside her and forced a small smile. "Hm?"

"I..." She paused. The awkwardness getting the better of her. Foolish she felt for apologising for loving her brother, to a girl outside of the family that shared the same affection for him. "I'm sorry... For everything." Amy lowered her head.

The chipmunk's smile grew. "You have nothing to apologise for."

"I do." Amy insisted, blushing at how adamant she came across. "I mean, I think I do. Had my dad not forced Sonic into manipulating you, you wouldn't have been caught up in all of this."

Her smile disintegrated. "What?"

Amy flinched, realising she had not known the full story. However, now she was put on the spot, there was no turning back. "The, uh, party? Back in Mercia? Dad told Sonic to get with you..." Her eyes fell to her hands holding her aching stomach, her words coming out in a feeble mumble. "For your family's investment and to cover up his past... with me."

Another whetted blade to the heart. Emotionally open and nonexpecting, she took the blow at full force. The pain penetrated her entire being, leaving her weakened. Dizziness overcame her, forcing her to place herself against the counter for support. Holding her head, she lifted her hair away from her face and inhaled deeply.

"Sally?" Amy gasped, her arm instinctively wrapping around the girl's waist to help her.

"God, your dad is such an asshole." Rouge growled. Her fists balled tightly to see her friend's deep affliction.

"Rouge..." Sonia humbly spoke.

"Yeah, I get it, he's your dad and all. I'm sorry to say it, Sonia, but he's just as bad, if not worse, than Robotnik! To destroy countries and lives of innocence is terrible, but to destroy the lives of those you supposedly love? What kinda monster does that?"

Sonia held her tongue. Her head bowed, submitting to the arguement. "Can't fault you there..." She turned to the emotionally wounded female before her. "I'm sorry for what my dad's done to you. I had no idea."

"Yes, well, neither of you can be held accountable for the general's actions. This wasn't your doing." she looked back at Amy and flashed another fragile smile. "When he turned me down, I asked him who owned his heart. Though he never mentioned any names, I could see the adoration swell in his eyes at the thought of you. And while I don't fully understand the whole relationship, I already know how powerful it is."

A light breath left her lips as her words touched her heart. "Thank you, Sal."

Sally nodded back at her. "Don't mention it."

Cutting through the sentimental talk, Rouge leaned over the pink hedgehog and looked down at the test. "It's done."

"I can't look at it." Amy breathed out, walking away from the test and into her sister's awaiting arms.

"Read it out." Sonia said.

Taking the test in hand, Rouge looked down at the small screen and then looked back at the hedgehogs. "So, real quick; if you were to have a baby, would you technically be giving birth to your niece or nephew, as well as your son or daughter?"

"Rouge..." Sally reprimanded her friend. "Now's not the time."

"Alright..." She kept her eyes down on the test as she read the results. "It's negative."

Her pulse increased rapidly, fluttering with relief. "Y-you're sure?!" Amy gasped, a smile taking over her face.

"Yeah." Rouge turned the device around and showed the others in the room. "Though I would advise to take another in a couple of days should you end up being late, but overall, congratulations."

Taking the stick from the bat's hand, Amy gazed at the words on the screen, elevated and released from the weighted fear in her mind. The waves of easement radiated through her, her muscles loosening the tension they held up. Slumping in her sister's arms, she blissfully bathed herself in solace.

"Thank you." She breathed, closing her eyes and enrapturing her consciousness into the jubilant feeling. Though overjoyed, she questioned the reasoning behind her sickness. Had she not been pregnant, what was wrong with her? "What about the sickness?" She thought aloud.

Rouge shrugged. "It's probably a bug. You've been on the run from the military. That's the definition of stress."

"Rouge is right, you know?" Sonia said. Surprised, the three girls looked to the hedgehog. "Yeah, I know. I'm agreeing too much. But I'll give credit where it's due." She placed her hand on Amy's shoulder. "You've been so worked out lately. Your body's probably exhausted."

"I won't stop until I get Sonic back." She stated.

"I knew you were gonna say that, you Love Nut." Sonia chuckled. "Well, now that we know there's no baby, let's go and get our bro." Her response was greeted with awkward avoidance and snickering. She blushed. "I, uh, didn't mean... I meant _my_ bro..."

"... Let's just go and get Sonic, yeah?" Amy grinned through her embarrassment.

Opening the bedroom, Sonia stepped aside and allowed her sister to lead the way. "Gotcha..."

* * *

Hands tapping wildly against keyboards, the pair of masterminds kept their heads down, into the screens in front of them. Tired eyes squinted the pain of bright lights away for a breakaway from their mission could bring their operation to an end.

Sat at the filth-tracked kitchen countertops on worn out, red leather, stools the boys stayed glued to their positions, the love they carried for the blue hedgehog pushing them through.

As the only person to show him any affection, the green teen vowed to get him back, safe and sound.

With an ash heavy cigarette in his mouth, Manic leaned towards the echidna beside him and nodded his head, hitting the cigarette against small ash tray in the red boy's hand.

Knuckles turned his head away from the smoke. "Ugh. How can you smoke that?"

"Easy." He mumbled, moving the cylinder in his mouth.

"It's gross."

"Mm." He nodded in agreement. Moving one hand away from the keyboard and taking the cigarette out of his mouth, he breathed the smoke into the air. "You're right. But when you're a piece of shit with Mummy and Daddy issues, you do what you gotta do." He said indifferently, placing the drug back to his lips. "You good over there, Little Dude?

"I knew this cryptography wouldn't be easy, but cracking this cipher text is a lot tougher than I anticipated." Tails replied, refusing to take his eyes away from the screen. "You had any luck getting through the EMP?"

"Not a lot. It works pretty well for something I threw together. It's blocking all signals I'm giving it. As much as I'd love to sit here and wait for it to turn itself off, we really can't spare another second-"

"Manic!" Amy rushed towards her brother. "The test came back negative!" She said exuberantly.

Her brother grinned back at her. "Congrats, Ames. I'm happy for ya."

"Amy." Rob walked over from the living room.

Looking back to her cousin, she was quick to keep her head low. In the very little time they had together, he had discovered her forbidden love and came to the knowledge of a possible pregnancy. What must he be thinking of her? "Rob... I'm sorry you've been wrapped up in all of this-"

"Hey now. I hope you're not apologising for the drama. We're family, we're supposed to be there for eachother. 'Sides, if your dad wasn't such an ass, none of this would have happened."

"But what with me and Sonic-"

"Amy, chill. I knew about it."

Her mouth spilled open. "You did?"

"Yeah." Rob chuckled. "When I saw the way Sonic touched your face on the day of the ceremony, it was like the missing piece to the puzzle. He said your dad didn't approve of the relationship. Can kinda see why, but that's not the point. He talk about you, y'know? Made you out to be real special. I told him to never let you go... So in a way, this could all be my fault." He laughed, rubbing the back of his head.

His cousin bashfully laughed with him, keeping her gaze to the ground. Noticing this, he gently lifted her chin with his finger, gracing her with a gentle smile. "Stop feeling guilty for choosing to be happy."

A motivating message from her remaining blood, Amy nodded back, smiling in appreciation. With his arm wrapping around her shoulders, Rob and Amy looked back to the two working geniuses. Patiently, she would wait for a good time to question their progress.

"Ugh, why do my inventions have to work so well?" Manic growled in frustration.

"Was... was that a humble brag?" Rob laughed.

The green hedgehog lightly smirked. "Slightly. It's also the truth. After all this time, that fucking thing hasn't switched off. Seems like he's still wearing it at least."

"Any luck getting through to his communicator?" Amy asked.

Her brother shook his head solemnly. "Tails is doing his best though." He pointed out, nodding his head towards the child prodigy as an act of praise.

"Can't you just shoot a message to his communicator, like you did when we were in Northamer? That way, you could activate the communicator and track it that way." She enquired.

Her question caused the green hedgehog to sit up straight and stare back at her, blinking mindlessly.

"Did you seriously not think of that, Brains?" Sonia crossed her arms.

"Hey! It's been awhile since I've had any V! It ain't that easy to concentrate when I'm stressed- to the fuck-out!" His wrinkled, angered brow shortly relaxed to see the stifled laughter before him. Taking a moment to realise what he had said, he lightly blushed. "I meant Vofegon!" Their laughter continued. "Shut up. Gutter Heads."

"Well we can't give you any 'V' of either sort. Is there anything else you need to get the job done?" Sonia snickered.

With the new plan allowing him a break from the screen, he span on the stool towards his sister. "Get my bag, take out the repeater and connect it to the outlet. I'll need a better mic than what this laptop's offering so get one outta there too. Then I'll need-"

A beaming light appeared in the living room, behind the heroes. Alarmed, they jumped into battle positions and prepared themselves for a threat.

The incision in their reality vanished as abruptly as it appeared. From the faded light, a figure of shaded spikes and fiercely red eyes appeared before them.

The group heightened their defence. "Shadow!" Knuckles growled, tensing his fists.

"Wait, you guys!" Amy gasped, rushing in front of the others and shielding the agent. "It's okay. He won't harm us."

"Wha- He's the military patsy!" The echidna argued.

"Not anymore." Shadow stepped forward to stand beside the pink hedgehog. He turned his attention to her. "Had it not been for our time together in training, I would've not had the memories required to break outta their control. I am in your debt, Rose."

"It's Am-" She breathed in. Now was not the time for correction. "Thank you."

Rouge looked away from the black and red hedgehog noticing her within the group. "Jewel Thief..."

Biting her lip away from the ultimate life form, Rouge slowly looked back to him with a sheepish smile. "Still haven't let that go, huh?"

He narrowed his gaze. "I've got my eye on you."

The bat giggled. "Oh, Shadow. Save the flirting for later will you?" She teased, successfully getting him to back off.

"Do you still have the chaos emeralds?" Amy regained his attention. He nodded back at her.

"Can you use them to see where Sonic is?" Sally asked.

Shadow nodded once more. Pulling out a chaos emerald from his back quills, he lifted the jewel above his head and channelled his thoughts into actions. The white, translucent emerald glowed in his hand and emitted a boy figure within.

He lowered the gem before the pink hedgehog, allowing her to see the whereabouts of her beloved. She gasped loudly, ecstatic. "He's alive!"

"What's he upto?" Manic asked.

Looking closer into the powerful artifact, she witnessed a colossal airship crowding the skies. Stretching fifty metres in length, the flying battleground blackened the landscape below. It's midnight blue colouring blending with the night sky, prowling through the overcast. Loaded onto the battleship was an armada of missile launchers and turrets covering all perimeters. All promising to be heavily armed.

Raising above the clouds came thirty more battleship. Appearing to be half the size of the main aircraft, they all beared the same threatening artillery upon their armoured exteriors.

"Sonic..." Amy muttered. "He's heading straight for Robotnik's fleet!" She turned to the heroes, frantic. "He'll get himself killed!"

"I can get us there through chaos control." Shadow informed her.

"Wait!" Manic raised his hand. Moving in front of the group, he stood before the ultimate life form, rubbing his chin in curiosity. "You can calculate where you teleport, right?" He received a nod in return. Manic grinned. "If we can hijack HQ, we may be given an advantage in battle with all the inventions we've created."

"B-but! That's a transgression against the organisation! Even if for the greater good, we'd be looking at criminal charges!" Tails advised.

"Dude, relax. I'll take total liability. Don't worry about it."

"Manic..." Sonia grabbed her brother's arm. "Think about what you're saying for a sec. You'll be jailed for sure. Dad won't be able to bail us out for infiltrating."

He looked back at her over his shoulder. "If it weren't for Sonic being back, I'd still be nothing more than a shit-bag with a grudge against the world. He saw passed the crap I did and treated me like-" He sighed heavily, moving his eyes to his red and white, scuffed shoes. "Like a Mobian... If we're gonna save him, we'd better go in armed and equipped."

Seeing his determination as he looked back at her, Sonia lowered her arm away from his shoulder and nodded back, accepting the fate her brother would put upon himself.

"So, everybody ready?" The green hedgehog looked around at his comrades. They nodded their confirmation. "Alright." He smirked, turning back to the ultimate life form. "By your command, Shadow."

Raising the white chaos emerald into the air, Shadow voiced the power of chaos and spliced a portal into the apartment. The swirling rift sucking in the pieces of debris with its majestic might.

Discarding all hesitation, Amy leapt into the portal. She was quickly followed by Shadow and the heroes, the portal closing on their departure.

Through the quiet streets of Central City, the united warriors charged into the headquarters. The foundation of the skyscraper quaked and trembled tremendously. Windows shattering from devastating eruption, the smoke billowed vengeful rage into the air.

The shock waves of their assault shook the city, coercing the military to their will.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have tried to be mindful to not glorify suicide or suicidal thoughts/attempts in this chapter. Although, should you feel vulnerable at all, please reach out to somebody. You are not alone.


End file.
